The road to SEA Games gold might be tougher than initially thought.
Nearly a year ago, Gilas Pilipinas lost basketball gold in the last game of the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games basketball tournament held in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Handing Gilas that stunning defeat was Indonesia, who did the unthinkable behind naturalized NBA veteran Marques Bolden and former Gilas coach Rajko Toroman.
Come May in the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, that same Indonesian squad will likely be the biggest thorn in Gilas’ pursuit of redemption. That they are ahead of Gilas in terms of preparation only makes them a bigger roadblock to the national team reclaiming its throne as the region’s hoops powerhouse.
“They’re in their second week already in their camp in Australia,” Chot Reyes admitted to News5’s Martie Bautista in an interview after Gilas practice on Monday. They have Lester Prosper [as one of three naturalized players to choose from]. They have another guy, Anthony [Beanue], aside from Bolden. I’m not going to be surprised if Bolden is still there. So, we have to be ready.”
Now coached by another Serbian in Miloš Pejic, Indonesia looks determined to build on its improvement under Toroman and prove that its shock victory over Gilas last year was not a fluke. And it appears Reyes knows that fully well, although he is not taking the other teams lightly.
“I think Indonesia will be tougher than last year,” Reyes added. “And I know the same thing with Vietnam and Thailand, so we have to be really playing at a high level as a team.”
It goes without saying that the road to redemption will be tough—and it starts now.