Gilas Pilipinas will be taking a break in the next four months following an impressive performance in the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers last week.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Erika Dy yesterday told Daily Tribune that Gilas coach Tim Cone and the rest of the team were already sent back to their respective mother squads after beating Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei in the opening window of the qualifiers.
She said they will re-open their training camp around the last week of June in preparation for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament sent in Riga, Latvia from 2 to 7 July.
“The boys have been sent back to their respective mother teams,” said Dy, who spearheaded the country’s successful hosting of the FIBA Basketball World Cup before being appointed as the workhorse of the federation.
“We reconvene around the last week of June — maybe 22 June. The OQT will start in July.”
Together with Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, Japeth Aguilar, Cone had already returned to Barangay Ginebra, which is shooting for a title in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup that is set to open today at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
Also returning to their mother squads are June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez of San Miguel Beer, Chris Newsome of Meralco and Calvin Oftana of TNT Tropang Giga while Japan-based stars like Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, and Kai Sotto are set to reunite with their respective squads in the B. League as well as Kevin Quiambao, who will be rejoining De La Salle University.
Meanwhile, Justin Brownlee and Carl Tamayo have yet to announce their next stop.
In a news briefing following their masterful 106-53 win over the Taiwanese last Sunday at the Philsports Arena, Brownlee hinted at the possibility of joining an overseas team while waiting for the import-flavored conference next season.
After all, he has to keep playing to stay in shape after sitting out for three months following a failed drug test in the aftermath of the 19th Asian Games in China.
“I definitely want to stay in shape and hopefully maybe an opportunity comes where I can play, if not in Asia, but somewhere,” Brownlee said.
“I just really wanna stay in game shape and don’t wanna take too much time off.”
Tamayo, on the other hand, has yet to reveal his next stop.
The 6-foot-8 forward was released by his Japanese club, Ryukyu Golden Kings, last January and he has yet to plot his next course of action.
“I came here to serve the country. It doesn’t matter where I’ll end up with after this,” Tamayo said shortly before the squad left for Hong Kong for its first official tourney with Cone as full-time head coach.
