FIBA World Cup debacle ‘much needed exposure’ for gilas

FINDING a silver lining from their consecutive debacles in the 2019 FIBA World Cup, Gilas Pilipinas head coach Joseller “Yeng” Guiao said those defeats were the experience the national team needed ahead of the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Manila.


Guiao admitted their consecutive defeats were “hard lessons” for the national men’s basketball team that is still getting their feet wet in the quadrennial FIBA Basketball World Cup.


“We’re playing Asian level and competing very well. But the world level is different, several notches different,” Guiao said. “We need certain types of players, we need the exposure to this level of play.”


“So these are the things that I guess we need to work on and it’s long term. I don’t think there’s a short term solution to that,” added the NLEX Road Warriors mentor.


Composed of the PBA’s brightest and naturalized center Andray Blatche, the national team made their debut in 2014 in Spain and pushed powerhouse teams like Argentina, Croatia and Greece to the limit.


The ongoing campaign in China is only the second time, and only five from the 2014 batch is back for an encore, leading a crew of greenhorns, including Guiao himself.


“We don’t get to the World Cup too often. We got here the first time and we’ll get there in the next because it’s going to be in Manila. But the expectations are different when you get to the World Cup or maybe the Olympics; the competition is just different, totally different from the Asian level,” Guiao said.


“The pressure on me is really to be able to give our countrymen something to cheer for. Alam naman ng Pilipino ang basketball nila, alam nila na ang Italy, Serbia talagang mas malakas sa atin, dehado tayo,” he added.


“But we want to give them a reason to cheer, just something that they can hang on to (in the Italy and Serbia games). That (failure) is the disappointment I feel,” he said.


Guiao, however, said he is happy his players were able to share the court with NBA players from the other teams.


“To see these guys play against the guys who are the best in the world, on a personal level, that’s an achievement also. Of course, overshadowed ng desire mo na mapasaya ang Filipino basketball fans, so we’ll try to do that in the coming games,” said Guiao.


The national men’s basketball team will end their FIBA World Cup campaign tonight through a qualification match with Asian rival Iran at the Wukesong Sports Arena in Beijing, China./PN

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here