Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 29) — Mark Dickel will be the interim head coach of Gilas Pilipinas for the first window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers, according to a statement released by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) Wednesday.
Gilas will open its campaign with a home game against Thailand on February 20, then a road match versus Indonesia on February 23.
“In his short stint in the Philippines, Coach Mark has performed creditably well”, Manny V. Pangilinan, Chairman Emeritus of the SBP, said in the statement.
“We want to hit the ground running for the upcoming 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers said Pangilinan. “We all know what he did to help TNT in such a short span and we’re confident he can also move things quickly as we prepare for the first window this February,” he added.
In his young PBA career which started in the latter part of the 2018 season, Dickel helped the KaTropa end their five-conference finals drought.
The 24-man Gilas for the upcoming window includes three TNT players — RR Pogoy, Troy Rosario, and Ray Parks.
Also included in the pool are NLEX’s Kiefer Ravena and Poy Erram, NorthPort’s Christian Standhardinger, Ginebra’s Japeth Aguilar, Columbian’s CJ Perez, Blackwater’s Mac Belo, and Phoenix’s Matthew Wright.
Meanwhile, Isaac Go, Matt and Mike Nieto, Rey Suerte, and Allyn Bulanadi along with Justine Baltazar, Dave Ildefonso, Thirdy Ravena, Kobe Paras, Juan and Javi Gomez de Liano, Jaydee Tungcab, and Dwight Ramos will give the national team pool youth power.
The SBP said it intends to announce a full-time head coach by the second window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers which is slated in November this year.
The 43-year-old is nothing new to local hoops as he is the active consultant of the TNT KaTropa in the Philippine Basketball Association.
