China, Korea next on Smart Gilas radar

Now that Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas is already familiar with Middle Eastern brand of basketball, it’s now time for it to take a closer look at two other major rivals — China and Korea.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Noli Eala yesterday declared readiness to face the “real” Chinese and Korean national squads in preparation for the big-time tourmanents ahead.

“At this point, it’s time for us to play China and Korea, and probably Kazakhstan because this teams will be important for the boys to have a mental note on,” Eala said.

Fresh from a third-place finish in the prestigious 21st Dubai International Tournament — the toughest cage tourney in the Middle East — Gilas gained a good insight of Middle Eastern teams, giving them a good shot at winning against legitimate contenders like Iran, Jordan and Lebanon in the 2011 Fiba-Asia Championship which stakes a single ticket to the 2012 London Olympics.

“These teams are getting older and weaker going into the Fiba Championship while we get stronger and stronger everyday,” said SBP project director Rajko Toroman, who steered Iran to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

“But based on my experience, the only time you get to play China is during the Fiba Championships. There’s no way for you to scout China, especially if you’re talking about its “real” national team.”

Source: Author Unknown  | The Daily Tribune