SBP, PBA to meet to tackle Gilas Pilipinas' SEA Games plans

Officials from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) are set to meet on Tuesday afternoon to chart plans for the national team ahead of the Vietnam SEA Games in May.

League commissioner Willie Marcial revealed he is set to sit down with Gilas Pilipinas program director and head coach Chot Reyes later at 5 p.m. to discuss plans for the country's title defense in the biennial meet.

Part of discussions would be whether PBA will be open to loan players to the national team as collegiate players won't be available come the SEA Games as they will be with their teams in the UAAP.

"Mamaya may meeting kami, mga 5 p.m.," said Marcial in an interview with GMA News Online. "Paguusapan namin 'yung plano ng Gilas, sa SEA Games tsaka sa iba pa. Malalaman natin mamaya."

Gilas Pilipinas just wrapped up its campaign in the February window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers where they went 1-1 in Group A against New Zealand and India.

Now, the nationals are setting their sights on what lies ahead next: the SEA Games, where the country has won 13 of the last gold medals for a total of 18.

Gilas Pilipinas, though, was immediately faced with a roadblock as majority of the players, especially those on the collegiate ranks, won't be available come the Games.

Reyes earlier said he will have to convene with PBA officials in order to put up a team for the Vietnam Games, which is set to fire off on May 12 and will run until May 23 in Hanoi.

"First of all, we have to meet with the PBA to synchronize calendars. We’re looking now at the Southeast Asian Games," Reyes said on the heels of Gilas' 88-63 defeat to New Zealand last Sunday.

“Another thing to take into consideration [is] who are the players who are going to be available? Unfortunately, I can’t answer that question because we have to sit down and actually craft the plans."

With the UAAP, which will open on March 26 and could end around May 12, happening simultaneously as the SEA Games, Gilas will have to rely on professional players.

This would mean that the likes of Carl Tamayo (UP), Justine Baltazar (DLSU), and RJ Abarrientos (FEU) won’t be available as well as Ange Kouame, Dave Ildefonso, SJ Belangel, and Geo Chiu of Ateneo.

“I don’t think we will have any of the collegiate players because I think the UAAP will end on May 12 at the earliest and May 19 at the latest," added Reyes.

Marcial, for his part, said the PBA has always been supportive of the national team program.

"Lagi naman tayo sumu-suporta sa Gilas kahit dati pa tsaka ngayon nga rin doon sa World Cup Qualifiers so pag-usapan na lang namin muna."

—JMB, GMA News