Gilas Pilipinas is leaving for Jakarta Friday night, hopeful of jumpstarting its campaign in the FIBA Asia Qualifiers versus the Indonesian national team at the Mahaka Arena in the Indon capital Sunday.
Gilas coach Mark Dickel, the active coaching consultant of TNT KaTropa in the PBA, is positive and at the same time wary of the Indons quintet under former Team Phl coach Rajko Toroman.
But Dickel really has high hopes on his team which is a mix of youth and experience, featuring seven PBA players and five Gilas cadets.
FIBA Basketball World Cup vets Kiefer Ravena, Troy Rosario, RR Pogoy and CJ Perez provide experience and leadership in the team that includes three other PBA players in Poy Erram of NLEX, Abu Tratter of Alaska Milk and Justin Chua of Phoenix Pulse. Isaac Go, Thirdy Ravena, Dwight Ramos, Juan Gomez de Liano, and Matt Nieto are young bloods in Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas' national team program geared at making a good showing in the FIBA World Cup at home in 2023.
It doesn't mean, though, that Gilas is taking for granted the Asian event - a stand-alone tourney where Australia is the reigning champ.
Sponsored content:
With the postponement of the Gilas-Thailand Friday in Manila due to the novel coronavirus threat, the Nationals are instead kicking off their drive with an "away-game" versus the Indons.
"They're really disciplined, they're well-coached," said Dickel of the Indons.
"Although the Philippines at the SEA Games kinda beat them pretty easily in the times they played, I think at halftime it was pretty close so they've proven to be a tough opponent," Dickel also said, recalling Gilas' 97-70 win over the Indons in the recent Southeast Asian Games at the MOA Arena.
Dickel expects the Indons to be a lot tougher in their home turf.
"I anticipate the game really being difficult so we gotta play a good game. They're not going to give it to us," he said.
