MANILA – In an aim not to disrupt further the schedule of the 2019 PBA season, the league is giving the Gilas Pilipinas 10 full days to prepare for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, slated from Aug. 31 to Sept. 15 in China.
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said Gilas head coach Joseller “Yeng” Guiao was open to the agreement even if it is practically not enough with the national squad ranged against the top basketball teams in the world.
“Bibigyan natin sila ng 10 days before [ng World Cup] kasi by Aug. 7 tapos na ang semifinals so pwede nang gamitin ‘yung iba. ‘Yung buong buhos sa kanya baka Aug. 20 o Aug. 19 [after ng finals],” Marcial said.
The PBA has earlier rejected Gilas Pilipinas’ plan to compete in the 2019 William Jones Cup in Taiwan reasoning that it might affect the PBA schedule for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
The current PBA season is slated to conclude in January 2020 due to Philippines’ qualification in the 2019 FIBA World Cup and the country’s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in November.
The No. 31 seed national men’s basketball team mentor faces a daunting task to pull off a victory as it will be ranged against tough oppositions in No. 4 Serbia, No. 13 Italy and No. 39 Angola.
Philippines needed at least two victories to advance to the next round, which have an extra incentive as the top-ranked Asian team will automatically earned a ticket in 2020 Tokyo Olympics./PN
