One less tune-up match for Gilas

Smart Gilas canceled its tune-up game with the Kuwaiti national team on Monday night to avoid being punished by the International Basketball Federation (Fiba).

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Noli Eala told the BusinessMirror on Tuesday that the federation decided to forgo the friendly because the Kuwait Olympic committee has been suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

“Rather than risk FIBA sanctions if we play them, we decided to cancel the Kuwait game,” said Eala.

Gilas is now in Dubai for the 21st Dubai International basketball tournament that kicks off on Thursday.

Before going to Dubai, the developmental team of Serbian coach Rajko Toroman played two exhibition games against the Qatar national squad in Doha. The Filipinos won the first meeting, 46-38, but lost the second in overtime, 69-77.

They were scheduled to meet the Kuwaitis on Monday night.

The IOC just recently suspended the Olympic committee of Kuwait for its government’s intervention in the elections of its sports organizations.

It could be recalled that Yeng Guiao’s Team Pilipinas handily beat Kuwait in the 2009 Fiba-Asia Men’s Championship, 85-71, in Tianjin, China, last year

Instead, Smart Gilas played a selection of Filipino residents in Dubai. They won by a mile, 100-60.

“We are playing United Arab Emirates tonight [Tuesday night] as our last tune-up before the Dubai tournament,” Eala said. (Jan 12, 7:30PM Dubai Time | 11:30PM Manila Time)

Smart Gilas is using the Dubai tournament as part of its preparations for the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, in November and the 2011 Fiba-Asia qualifier for the 2012 London Olympics.

The team immediately plunges to action on opening day against Syria’s Al Jalaa club at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dubai time.

On Friday Toroman’s team battles Champville of Lebanon also at 5 p.m., then takes a break on Saturday. The team squares off with Jordan’s Zain, bannered by former Talk ’N Text import Damien Cantrell, at 1 p.m.

Smart Gilas concludes its first-round campaign in Group B against An Nasr of UAE at 1 p.m.

Eala said the Dubai joust will give the SBP the idea on what to expect in the Guangzhou Asian Games because most of the players in the tournament are also playing on their national teams.

“The level of competition is very high so this is a very good test for our Smart Gilas team,” said Eala.

Source: Joel Orellana  | BusinessMirror.com.ph