Before that, however, Gilas will continue training here at home for three weeks.
Back in May, Chot Reyes promised a grueling grind for Gilas Pilipinas as it prepares for the FIBA World Cup. And after a 16-day training camp in Estonia and Lithuania that saw the national team go 3-3 in six tune-up matches, it will find itself on the road again in just three short weeks.
Next up for Gilas will be flying to China, where they will enter a pocket tournament against teams also preparing for the FIBA World Cup.
The pocket tournament, set to take place on August 2–6, will see Gilas potentially playing Asian rivals Iran and Lebanon, as well as African powerhouse Senegal, as reported in an article on the PBA website. Gilas, of course, went 1-1 versus Lebanon in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, falling to the Cedars in the fourth window before avenging that loss in the sixth and final window played here in Manila.
Iran, on the other hand, has been one of the top Asian teams in Asia and a perennial tormentor of the national team. Senegal, meanwhile, was the country Gilas beat back in the 2014 FIBA World Cup to give the country is first FIBA World Cup victory in half a century.
Before making the trip to China, however, the national team will continue its preparations here in the country, where it will spend the next three weeks of their training camp. This period will also be critical in as far as assessing the physical health of the players and making sure they are in tip-top shape.
First on the agenda, it appears, is to have guards Scottie Thompson and Dwight Ramos undergo medical evaluation as the two are nursing injuries.
As Gilas awaits for clarity on Thompson’s and Ramos’ injuries, it will resume training on July 13.
(GM)