InterAKTV
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manuel V. Pangilinan called on fans and supporters of the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas to be realistic about expectations ahead of the national team’s campaign in the FIBA Asia Cup.
Pangilinan made the remarks in a victory dinner for the team after its recent victory in the 34th William Jones Cup.
“It’s good to have won Jones Cup after a long drought of no international championships for the country, but we have to be realistic and manage expectations. Stanković will be much tougher,” said Pangilinan, who also chairs SMART Communications which bankrolls the team.
(InterAKTV is part of InterAksyon.com, the online news site of TV5, which he also chairs.)
Unlike the Jones Cup, which allowed club teams, the FIBA Asia Cup will only feature national teams. The Philippines was drawn into Group A, along with powerhouse squads China and Lebanon as well as minnows Uzbekistan and Macau.
Chinese Taipei, Iran, Japan, Qatar, and India comprise Group B of the 10-team tournament.
Both tournaments are part of SMART-Gilas’ buildup for next year’s FIBA Asia Championship, which serves as qualifier to the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
“That should be our next goal — to see the Philippine team compete with the world’s best,” said Pangilinan.
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