Chot Reyes lauds SMART-Gilas players’ dedication to national cause

Photo from courtesy of Chot Reyes

With barely five days to go before the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national team plunges back into action in another international competition, coach Chot Reyes took to Twitter to share his admiration for the PBA players who are part of the team’s pool.
“Reflecting at the end of our first week of practice for Japan, can’t help but marvel at our players’ dedication,” Reyes wrote on his Twitter account.
With the new PBA season scheduled to begin on September 30, most teams have stepped up their offseason training, which means most players have to attend two practices daily.
“They go hard at their PBA teams’ practice in the early a.m./late afternoon, then we go at in again in the evening for Gilas. Everyday.”
Reyes admitted that the setup has taken its toll on the national team’s training.
“We’re not getting the kind of quality practices I’d like, but that’s a reality we have to live with.”
He ended his reflection by asking fans to continue supporting the squad.
Tweeps, these guys really deserve your prayers and support!”
SMART-Gilas is set to fly to Tokyo, Japan for the FIBA Asia Cup which starts on Friday, September 14. It will be the team’s second international tournament this PBA offseason after winning the 34th William Jones Cup in Taiwan last month. It’s part of the SMART-Gilas buildup for next year’s FIBA Asia Championship, which serves as qualifier to the 2014 World Cup.
The Philippine team opens its campaign against China on Friday, before facing Lebanon, Uzbekistan, and Macau on consecutive days. All SMART-Gilas games will be broadcast over AKTV.

source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/chot-reyes-lauds-smart-gilas-players-dedication-to-national-cause