Members of RP training team known today

BACOLOD – Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Noli Eala said the players who would sign up with the national training team under Serbian coach Rajko Toroman will be known today.

“I’ll talk to the players tomorrow (Friday) about their contracts. We’ll know if they want to join the team. We’re confident they would accept the package offered them,” said Eala, who’s here attending the amateur boxing congress at L’Fisher Hotel.

The SBP, headed by Smart and PLDT chairman Manny V. Pangilinan, offered the RP hopefuls contracts that will keep them with the team for a period long enough to make them competitive for a shot at a slot in the next Olympics.

Among the players being eyed for the pool are Ateneo’s Chris Tiu and Rabeh Al-Hussaini, La Salle’s JV Casio and Rico Maeirhofer, Far Eastern U’s Mark Andy Barroca, Santo Tomas’ Dylan Ababou and Jervy Cruz, Fil-Am Gregory Slaughter and United States-based Japeth Aguilar.

Eala said they’re looking at fielding the developmental team in the Asean Basketball League slated to open in September as part of its training.

“There’s a 50-50 chance that the team of coach Toroman will join the ABL,” said Eala.

The ABL, a home-and-away tournament being organized by the Southeast Asian Basketball Association, will feature professional teams owned by private corporations.

“There’s going to be imports in the ABL. The thing is we’re trying to train together and we don’t want to put imports there,” said Eala.