Gilas Pilipinas is in for a demanding stretch as it prepares for the final leg of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.
Under coach Tim Cone, the national team will head to Doha, Qatar, for a five-day training camp that includes three friendly games before resuming its qualification campaign.
Gilas departs for Qatar on Feb. 13 and jumps straight into action the next day against the host nation’s team in the Doha International Friendly Basketball Championship.
“It’s really going to be a quick trip. Just friendlies, basic exhibition games,” Cone said in an article published on the PBA website about the mini-tournament, which also features Lebanon and Egypt.
After the Doha stint, Gilas will return to Manila for a short break before flying to Chinese Taipei for a qualifier against the home team on Feb. 20. The squad will then proceed to Auckland for a Feb. 23 rematch with New Zealand.
“It’s going to be really tough. It’s going to be really hard on the players—all the travel from Doha back to Manila, then to Taiwan, to Hong Kong, and down to Auckland,” Cone admitted.
“We’ll be doing a lot of traveling in about eight or nine days. But we wanted it to be tough. That’s the whole point—this is about preparation,” he added.
Already qualified for the FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Aug. 5-17, Gilas is using the Doha trip and the final qualifiers as part of its buildup.
“Honestly, if we weren’t already qualified, we probably wouldn’t do the Doha trip. We’d focus on Taiwan and New Zealand to make sure we play our best in those games. But since we are qualified, we’re more concerned about preparing for the actual FIBA Asia tournament,” Cone explained.
Gilas leads Group B with a perfect 4-0 record, including dominant wins over Chinese Taipei (106-53) at the Philsports Arena and a 93-89 breakthrough against the Tall Blacks at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The post Grueling schedule ahead for Gilas Pilipinas first appeared on Fastbreak.
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