[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-1BvyDL6A4&feature=share&list=UUcCOXp2g7OfM5di_ZVPRQJg[/youtube]
Coach Chot, PBA brass in crucial meeting on Gilas
Sports 29 Jan 2014 Written by Joel Orellana
GILAS Pilipinas Head Coach Chot Reyes and the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) top brass meet on Thursday with both camps hoping to draw the best possible program for the country’s preparations for the Fiba World Cup in Madrid in August.
But Reyes is not expected to lay his program, which the PBA board of governor asked from him. Instead, he intends to clarify with the league officials how long the ball clubs would release their players for the national team training.
And from there, Reyes said, he would finalize his program for Madrid.
“I want to know how much time will be given to us before I can present a program,†Reyes said, although he has declared in previous interviews that he is looking at a two-month preparation for the team to achieve a round-of-16 berth for Gilas Pilipinas.
The Gilas Pilipinas matter is a major agendum for the PBA board, which holds its regular meeting at the PBA offices in Libis, Quezon City.
The Philippines earned a ticket to Spain after finishing second in the Fiba Asia Championship the country hosted last August. Iran won the tournament, while South Korea got the third slot allotted for Asia after clinching the bronze medal against Chinese Taipei. The World Cup is set from August 30 to September 14.
Reyes said he is open to forming a bigger pool for the World Cup because the country also intends to send a team to the Asian Games, which starts a week after the Fiba Worlds in Incheon, South Korea. Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas President Manuel V. Pangilinan has already declared his desire for Gilas to win the gold medal in Incheon.
The Gilas team that competed in August, Reyes said, is basically disbanded and that its players, including naturalized player Marcus Douthit, are considered members of the new pool.
Picked to be included in the pool are Kelly Williams of Talk ‘N Text, Greg Slaughter of Ginebra, Arwind Santos and Marcio Lassiter of Petron Blaze, and Jared Dillinger of Meralco.
Reyes will leave for Spain on Saturday with Team Manager Aboy Castro and team logistics head Andrew Teh to attend the Fiba Basketball World Cup draw on Tuesday.
Twenty nations are already qualified for the 24-nation worlds, including defending champion United States and host Spain. Four wild cards will complete the roster.
