Cone tells Pinoy bets: Enjoy the moment

MANILA, Philippines — It may have failed to make the trip but Gilas Pilipinas remains invested in the Filipinos’ campaign in the Paris Olympics.

Coach Tim Cone and the Nationals, who went within two wins of joining the Olympic contingent in France, will be rooting and praying for the Olympians from their homes nearly 7,000 miles away.

“Wish them the best, wish Gilas could have been with them,” Cone told The STAR on the eve of the hostilities in Paris.

“What they’re doing is life-changing, both for themselves and for their countrymen. (I hope they) Enjoy the moment, bring home a medal!”

Cone got a first-hand taste of how rough the road to the Olympics is.

Despite personnel shortage and a short prep time, Gilas managed to contend for the ticket to Paris at stake in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga, Latvia earlier this month.

The 37th-ranked Nationals hammered out a famous upset of world No. 6 and host Latvia in Group A action en route to a pleasantly surprising semifinals stint.  However, they failed to go further and kissed their Paris bid goodbye as they took a 60-71 setback to No. 12 and eventual Paris qualifier Brazil in a game where they blew an early 12-point lead.

And now, from the outside looking in, Gilas aims to draw extra inspiration from the 22-strong, gold-hunting Philippine bets in Paris as they set out to give the Olympics another shot in 2028 in Los Angeles.