Gilas tests mettle vs Estonia, Netherlands, Iceland

MANILA, Philippines – Estonia, the Netherlands and Iceland play Gilas Pilipinas in a pocket three-day tournament in the Estonian capital city of Tallinn on August 20-22 in preparation for their own stints in the FIBA EuroBasket jointly hosted by Croatia, France, Germany and Latvia on September 5-20.

The Estonians and the Dutch are gearing up for their EuroBasket comeback after long years of absence while the Icelanders are getting ready for their FIBA Europe debut.

The three squads made the 24-team draw with Spain, Ukraine, France, Slovenia, Croatia, Lithuania, Serbia, Finland, Greece, Turkey, Latvia, Israel, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Georgia, Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Macedonia, Italy and Russia, fighting it out for two slots in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Estonia, the Netherlands and Iceland are low-tier Euro teams which could be the ideal matchups for Team Phl that is just to get their first taste of real action.

In Tallinn, Andray Blatche and his teammates play the first three of 14 matches lined up for Gilas Pilipinas in their FIBA Asia buildup.

Estonia is playing its first EuroBasket in 14 years while the Netherlands qualified for its first in 26 long years.

Iceland, meanwhile, has gained breakthrough, graduating to the EuroBasket from the FIBA Euro Championship for Small Countries.

The lowest-ranked FIBA EuroBasket competition introduced in 1988 as the Promotion Cup, the Euro Championship for Small Countries is a biennial meet participated at one time or another by Iceland, Andora, Austria, Azerbaijan, San Marino, Ireland, Denmark, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Wales, Moldova, Malta, Albania, Norway and Scotland. Andora is the most dominant team here with five championships so far.

With one Olympic stint before being occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940, Estonia has a current lineup featuring six players standing 6-foot-8 and above in Siim Sander Vene, Kristjan Kitsing, Joosep Toome, Janar Talts, Rain Raadik and Reinar Hallik.

Coach Tiit Sokk also has at his disposal guards and wingmen Tanel Sokk, Sten Sokk, Martin Dorbek, Rain Veidemann, Gert Dorbek, Gregor Arbet, Erik Keedus, Kristjan Kangur and Tanel Kurbas.

In the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, the Philippines, featuring Charles Borck, Jacinto Ciria Cruz, Franco Marquicias, Primitivo Martinez, Jesus Marzan, Amador Obordo, Bibiano Ouano, Ambrosio Padilla and Fortumato Yambao, topped Estonia, 39-22, during the third round of competition.

The Netherlands, with 15 EuroBasket appearances and one World Cup stint, will showcase 6-foot-11 centers Roeland Schaftenaar, Nicolas de Jong and Henk Norel with guards Yannick Franke, Leon Williams, Worthy de Jong, Charlon Kloof and forwards Mohamed Kherrazi, Ralf de Pagter, Kees Akerboom and Robin Smeulders.

Iceland features a 7-foot-2 giant in Ragnar Agust Nathalaelsson.

Two wins against Great Britain and two close losses to Bosnia and Herzegovina during the qualifier allowed the Icelanders entry into the 2015 EuroBasket.

Coach Tab Baldwin hopes to get Gilas in game shape in Estonia before vying to regain the crown in the Jones Cup in Taipei from Aug. 29-Sept. 6.

Gilas Pilipinas II, under coach Chot Reyes, ruled the 2012 Jones Cup but failed to defend the title in 2013 with the cancellation of their invitation due to the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman in disputed waters near Batanes.

Awaiting Gilas in the 2015 Jones Cup are games against Chinese Taipei A and B, Iran, Japan, South Korea, the Wellington Saints of New Zealand, Spartak Primorye of Russia and a US selection.