Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 20) – Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes has again offered his apologies for steering the national men’s basketball team to another disappointing finish, this time at the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup.
The Filipino cagers were demolished by Japan, 81-102, on Tuesday to finish outside the top eight in Asia for the first time after 15 years.
It was also the Akatsuki Five’s first victory against Gilas after 12 years, since the 2010 Asian Games.
“Well, obviously, the result is not what we wanted,” Reyes said during the post-game press conference. “Again, we are very sorry that we’ve disappointed a lot of our countrymen, our fellow Filipinos.”
The veteran national team mentor stressed that despite their failure to advance to the quarterfinals of the continental showpiece, they have picked many lessons that will benefit the young players of the squad.
“We brought a very young team here and the experience is just going to make them better,” he said. “To be able to be exposed to that kind of intensity and level of play here in the Asia Cup, there is not one player on our team in the 12 players that have been in the Asia Cup. This is all their first time.”
Kiefer Ravena, Bobby Ray Parks, and JP Erram are the only players of the current Gilas squad who have been called up to the national team numerous times, while the nine others are relatively new in the international play.
Reyes added their learnings in the continental tournament held in Jakarta, Indonesia will be valuable as they prepare for the second round of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers set late August.
“First of all, give these guys rest and time to recover,” he said. “We already have a plan in place for the next window. I can’t divulge it here but we already have a plan until August next year. We just have to execute.”
The ninth place finish of Gilas in the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup is seen as another huge blow to the aspirations of the national team looking to have a respectable performance in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, where the Philippines is one of the host nations along with Japan and Indonesia.
Two months ago, Reyes earned the ire of the Filipino basketball fans after he led Gilas to a silver medal finish in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam.
Reyes, who also coaches TNT Tropang Giga in the Philippine Basketball Association, also took the blame for the result that ended the over three decades of domination of the Philippines in the regional basketball event.
