Naturalized player-laden Gilas 'Redeem Team' possible for SEA Games

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines could send in its best players, even all its naturalized ones, for a chance to reclaim the gold medal it lost in last year's Hanoi Southeast Asian Games in the sport that matters most to rabid Filipino fans — basketball.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino said the country could field in Justin Brownlee, who is in the final process of naturalization, as well as other naturalized players like Angelo Kouame and Filipino-American Utah Jazz star Jordan Clarkson for Gilas Pilipinas.

Even Marcus Douthit and Andrei Blatche, who are also Philippine passport holders, can play in the biennial event set May 5 to 17 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia if they and the country want to.

“Yes, kahit buong lima,” said Tolentino.

The PhilCycling chief said Brownlee could soon have his own passport in time for the games in the Cambodian capital.

“Pasok sa SEA Games, sigurado naman aabot si Brownlee at baka ma-process na passport nya,” said the mayor from Tagaytay.

“Ano ba ang allowed, passport lang naman. Sa iba nga hari lang pumipirma sa Thailand, baka surpresahin naman tayo sa Cambodia ng kung sino sinong players, baka ex-NBA andun,” he added.

The country’s 33-year basketball reign in the region ended after a heartbreaking 85-81 defeat to Indonesia last year in Hanoi to the collective disappointment of a basketball-crazy nation.

And thanks to this “passport” rule, one could expect the Philippines to throw in everything, including the kitchen sink, just to reclaim that one gold that got away.