Gilas set to return to ‘Calambubble’ by late July for FIBA Asia Cup preparations
Gilas Pilipinas will take a much-deserved three-week break before plunging back into training in preparation for the FIBA Asia Cup which is set in Jakarta, Indonesia from August 17 to 29.
Aside from the Philippines, the other competing countries in the quadrennial event are Australia, Bahrain, China, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Lebanon, New Zealand and Syria.
Coach Tab Baldwin bared that the young squad will take a brief respite after its bid in the FIBA Olympic Qualifers in Belgrade, Serbia ended with a lopsided loss to the Dominican Republic.
“We don’t have exact dates yet and we don’t know exactly the protocol measures will be in the Philippines but it looks like it will be back for the Calamba bubble for us at this point,” said Baldwin.
“We’re probably looking at something around July 20th to the 25th to begin our preparations. I think we will have varying degrees of quarantines when we get back with vaccinations and some without vaccinations, so we’re not sure when we will be able to get back and have a bit of a break and normal life and then get back to work,” he added.
Baldwin, however, disclosed that they have yet to identify the players who will comprise the training pool for the continental showpiece.
“We haven’t discussed that (pool composition) with the players or the other basketball stakeholders at this point.”