Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 25) — Gilas Pilipinas has been given the green light to conduct twice weekly practices in June ahead of the 2019 FIBA World Cup which will begin on August 31.
CNN Philippines Correspondent Pauline Verzosa contributed to this report.
The planned weekly training will be on Mondays and Thursdays.
Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner Willie Marcial bared this development in a media briefing Thursday.
“The (PBA) board approved the twice-a-week training in June,” he said.
However, the PBA has yet to decide on Gilas head coach Yeng Guiao’s request for training sessions in August because it will be at the same time as the playoffs in the Commissioner’s Cup.
Marcial said Gilas will go to Russia for a couple of days to acclimatize themselves with the tall and tough competition in the global showpiece.
The Philippines, ranked 31st in the world, will go up against 39th-ranked Angola, 13th-ranked Italy, and tournament silver medalist Serbia in Group D.
The 2019 World Cup will run until September 15 in China.
