SBP Executive Director Sonny Barrios (Malaya Business Insight courtesy)

Gilas’ journey to the next stage remains a possibility, according to a high-ranking official from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP). The executive director of SBP issued a call to all Filipinos to stand in solidarity with Gilas Pilipinas as they compete in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

This call comes as Gilas finds themselves in a must-win scenario leading up to their concluding Group A match against Italy at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Tuesday night.

Sonny Barrios, the executive director of SBP, emphasized the application of the political concept of unity to basketball. He urged against forsaking the national team in their hour of need, especially following two defeats. He remarked, “Now is not the time for us to abandon our own national team. This is not the time. In fact, this is the time when they need our support. Let’s show them our concern and prayers, that in some way, they will succeed. Because they are genuinely giving their all.”

In their tournament opener last Friday, Gilas narrowly missed a victory against the Dominican Republic, with a final score of 87-81, in front of a record-breaking crowd of 38,000 fans at the Philippine Arena. Subsequently, on Sunday night, they surrendered a substantial lead and were defeated by Angola with a score of 80-70 at the Big Dome. This loss not only jeopardized their advancement to the group stage but also their chance to qualify for the Paris Olympics as the top Asian team in the World Cup.

Despite the setback against Angola, there’s still a path for the Philippines to progress to the second round of the competition. However, the fate of Gilas isn’t entirely within their control: they need to secure a victory against Italy by a margin of at least 13 points on Tuesday. Additionally, they must hope that the Dominican Republic prevails over Angola in their own matchup. A win against Italy would secure their advancement to the next round.

Barrios underscored the unpredictability of outcomes in sports, stating, “You can never tell how we will fare.” He encouraged Filipino fans not to abandon the national team, noting that unexpected victories have occurred, such as Japan’s triumph over Finland and the Dominican Republic’s upset against Italy. He remained hopeful, saying, “The saying in basketball that the ball is round holds true. We can’t predict. With a bit of luck, numerous prayers, an abundance of prayers, we might just succeed.”

Furthermore, Barrios reported that there have been no criticisms about the Philippines’ hosting of the World Cup thus far. He expressed satisfaction, saying, “We are pleased to inform you that we have received nothing but praises from FIBA, the international federation, about our preparation and organization of this World Cup. We can all take pride in that achievement.”

The Philippines is collaborating with Japan and Indonesia as co-hosts for the World Cup, with the concluding phase of the tournament set to take place at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. (ai/mnm)