Manila, Philippines - A Smart Gilas Pilipinas without Asi Taulava and Dondon Hontiveros guns for nothing less than a berth to this September’s FIBA-Asia Championship in Wuhan, China as it competes in the ninth Southeast Asian Basketball Association Championship set June 23-26 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
“Our ultimate goal is the FIBA-Asia Championship in China where a place in the 2012 London Olympics is at stake,” said Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman. “But for us to make it there, we need to participate in the qualifying tournament and that’s why we are preparing for the SEABA tournament.”
The Nationals, however, will be without veteran Taulava and Hontiveros who opted to return to their mother teams in the ongoing PBA Governors Cup.
“They’re playing for their PBA teams. They will rejoin the team only after the third conference of the PBA so they will not be coming to Jakarta,” said Toroman referring to Taulava and Hontiveros as well as Talk n Text’s Kelly Williams and Jimmy Alapag.
With Taulava and Hontiveros providing added firepower and experience, the Nationals finished a fighting fourth in the import-laden 22nd FIBA-Asia Champions Cup.
Seven-footer Greg Slaughter and 6-foot-6 Aldrech Ramos will also not join the team in Jakarta since the two are playing for reigning UAAP champion Ateneo and Far Eastern U, respectively, in the forthcoming collegiate cage wars leaving Smart Gilas with a 10-man roster led by naturalized player Marcus Douthit.
Smart Gilas captain Chris Tiu, co-skipper Mark Barroca, JV Casio, Mac Baracael, Marcio Lassiter, Japeth Aguilar, Chris Lutz, Dylan Ababou and Jason Ballesteros are the other players joining the Jakarta trip.
Tiu though sees no problems.
“We are eager to play and win the gold despite being undermanned with only 10 players,” said Tiu.
“I think we’ll be fine but we will not take any team lightly,” Tiu also said.
Smart Gilas will play Malaysia, which is incidentally coached by Filipino Ariel Vanguardia, on June 23, Indonesia the next day and Singapore on June 25 with the top two teams playing in the finale on June 26 in the four-day meet staking three spots in the Wuhan Asian joust.