Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — If Gilas Pilipinas will indeed vie for an Olympic berth, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) should back the national team according to a veteran sports analyst.
“PBA should be the main stakeholder here,” said Sev Sarmenta in an interview on CNN Philippines Sports Desk on Monday (October 12).
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This means the first play-for-pay league in Asia has to “adjust its schedule” and “make their players available” to the national team, added Sarmenta.
Gilas will face heavyweight teams such as France, Italy, and Puerto Rico in the Olympic Qualifying Tournaments where three tickets to the games in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil are at stake.
Given the top-caliber adversaries, Sarmenta said the Philippines needs to deploy its best soldiers because the cadet system will no longer work in international tilts.
“You’re going to send a college boy against Hammed Haddadi of Iran? He’ll just bounce off Haddadi,” Sarmenta said.
“It’s all anchored in the PBA. The PBA will have to define its role here.”
Meanwhile, PBA president and CEO Chito Salud on Tuesday said the board of governors will have a special meeting on Wednesday to discuss Gilas’ participation in the Olympic qualifier.
“The chairman has already called for a special meeting tomorrow for one topic: Gilas. Let’s leave it at that so as not to preempt our governors,” Salud said during the preseason press conference in Manila.
Salud added the league will for sure come up with an “unambiguous position” on this issue following the meeting on Wednesday.
