Batang Gilas shares spotlight in SEABA

MANILA, Philippines -  The Philippines U16 team, known as Batang Gilas, will lock horns with Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia in a five-corner battle for the SEABA U16 title starting Sunday to serve as an aperitif to the seven-team SEABA men’s competition at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The top three finishers in the SEABA U16 tournament will book tickets to the 16-team FIBA Asia U16 Championships at a site still to be determined late this year. In turn, the top three placers of the FIBA Asia U16 Championships will advance to represent Asia/Oceania at the FIBA World U17 Championships next year.

Already qualified to see action at the FIBA Asia U16 Championships are China, South Korea, Chinese-Taipei, Japan and Hong Kong from East Asia, Australia and New Zealand from Oceania, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia from the Gulf and Iran and Lebanon from West Asia. The remaining slots are allocated to Southeast Asia (3), Central Asia (1) and South Asia (1).

Batang Gilas team manager Andrew Teh said yesterday it’s difficult to predict the outcome of the SEABA U16 tournament on May 14-18. “It’s our first international competition as a team,” said Teh. “This is FIBA’s lowest age group tournament so lineups change constantly as players move up. New talents emerge in every tournament and that’s what makes this very exciting because it’s the foundation of future stars.”

The Philippines opens its quest for a fourth straight SEABA U16 crown against Singapore at the Big Dome on Sunday, 12 noon. Then, Batang Gilas faces Indonesia on Monday, 12 noon, takes a rest on Tuesday then returns to action against Thailand on Wednesday, May 17, 12 noon and winds up its schedule against Malaysia on Thursday, May 18, 5 p.m. in the preliminary to the Gilas-Indonesia game.

It will be Batang Gilas head coach Mike Oliver’s second assignment at the helm. He led the Philippines to the SEABA U16 title in Cagayan de Oro in 2015. Oliver joined the Batang Gilas program as previous coach Jamike Jarin’s assistant in 2012. The Philippines won the inaugural SEABA U16 crown in Banting, Malaysia, in 2011 with Isaac Go, now playing center for the Ateneo senior men’s varsity, at the forefront. The Philippines also took the second title in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in 2013 with Richard Escoto in the middle.

Teh said invitations were sent to about 20 players for Batang Gilas tryouts last January. The pool was later reduced to 15.  “We’ve got height, quickness, shooting ability and a group of coachable young players who are eager to learn and improve.”

In the Batang Gilas roster are 6-11 Kai Sotto, 6-8 Geo Chiu, 6-7 Raven Cortez, 6-5 Josh Lazaro, 6-3 Bismarck Lina, 6-2 Rafael Go, 6-2 Miguel Tan, 6-1 RC Calimag, 6-0 Forthsky Padrigao, 5-11 McLaude Guadana, 5-11 Terrence Fortea and 5-11 Migs Pascual. The reserves are 6-6 Lloyd Oliva, 6-2 Daniel Coo and 5-10 Ryan Yu.

Sotto, Chiu and Padrigao are from Ateneo high school while Pascual, Calimag and Lazaro are from San Beda. Cortez is from La Salle Zobel, Guadana from Lyceum, Fortea from NU, Tan from Xavier, Lina from UST and Go from Chiang Kai Shek.

Sotto is the tallest player in the tournament. The tallest players in the other teams are 6-2 Jeremy Teo of Singapore, 6-2 1/2 Puadol Buakaw of Thailand, 6-3 Jun Lok Chin of Malaysia and 6-3 Chrisna Arie Fawwaz of Indonesia. The only player not born in the country he’s representing is Thailand’s 6-0 1/2 Aaron Saharat Wadman whose place of birth is Massachusetts. The visiting teams are expected to arrive on Friday and all the participants will be billeted at the Holiday Inn Manila Galleria on Ortigas.

Batang Gilas’ ultimate goal is to make it to the FIBA World U17 Championships next year. That means the Philippines must finish in the top three at the FIBA Asia U16 tournament. In four FIBA Asia U16 Championships since 2009, the Philippines has landed a podium finish only once – second to China in 2013 in Tehran after losing, 85-78, in the final. The Philippines was fourth in 2009 and 2011 and fifth in 2015. But in this year’s FIBA Asia edition, the competition will be stiffer with the entry of Australia and New Zealand.