MANILA – Eligibility issues may hinder Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings center Greg Slaughter from participating in Gilas Pilipinas’ stint in the upcoming window of the 2019 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifier.
FIBA was seeking certain documents to prove that the Cebuano center can be classified a local player or naturalized player, just like Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle, head coach Yeng Guiao said.
“Meron pang mga papeles o documents na nire-require iyong FIBA. And those documents have not been completed yet,” said Guiao. “Kailangan ihabol iyon. E ang makakapag-submit noon ay siya.”
“If we’re not able to complete the documents of Greg, lalong hihirap iyong situation natin because we have to choose between those three guys who will we designate as our naturalized player,” he added.
Slaughter was classified an “import” when he played for the Smart Gilas team in the 2011 FIBA Asia Champions Cup, where teams were allowed at least two reinforcements, Guiao said.
The head coach said he was supposed to release the 12-man roster of the national men’s basketball team Monday night but the issue on Slaughter prevented him from doing so.
“We have to be certain of the situation of Greg, Christian and Stanley,” said Guiao. “We hope we can let them play as locals or Filipinos, but hindi pa natin naaayos iyong eligibility nila to play as Filipinos at this point.”
Slaughter said he was working double-time to complete the needed documents in time for the Philippines’ games against Iran on Sept. 13 and Qatar on Sept. 17.
“I just gotta get some documents back in the States right now. My parents hopefully can send those over,” said the former Ateneo Blue Eagles slotman./PN
