ANDRAY BLATCHE arrived last Sunday morning and, finally, the men’s national basketball team heaved some sigh of relief five days before its away-game against Japan in the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Team Manager Butch Antonio welcomed the 6-foot-11 Blatche, who was supposed to arrive last November 12 but was obliged to play two games for Xianjiang Flying Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association.
Blatche’s presence will set the tone for Gilas Pilipinas, which has crammed in its preparation for its game against Japan last Friday at the Komazawa Olympic Park General Sports Gymnasium in Tokyo.
The former National Basketball Association player reinforced the national team in the 2014 Fiba World Cup in Spain and helped the country bag a silver medal in the 2015 Fiba Asia Championship.
He last saw action in the Southeast Asian Basketball Association Championships but skipped the 2017 Fiba Asia Cup in Berlin—citing personal reasons—where the country finished a poor seventh place.
Blatche will join Head Coach Chot Reyes’s 15-man pool composed of June Mar Fajardo, Jayson Castro, Calvin Abueva, Raymond Almazan, Japeth Aguilar, Troy Rosario, Gabe Norwood, Allein Maliksi and Matthew Wright.
Completing the pool are Roger Pogoy, Kiefer Ravena, Kevin Alas, Mac Belo and Carl Bryan Cruz.
Terrence Romeo was absent last Sunday’s practice because of a knee concussion, while Castro has nursed back spasms and Abueva is coming off the flu.
The team flies to Japan tomorrow.
Gilas played three tune up game, beating Rain or Shine (95-76) and NLEX (95-87) but lost to Asean Basketball League team Alab Pilipinas (76-81).
Reyes will reveal the final 12 players during the team manager’s meeting on the eve of their match against Japan last Thursday.
The long-time national team coach said he is confident of beating Japan, which is now handled by Argentinian Julio Lamas.
Ira Brown, a former San Miguel Beermen import, is reinforcing the Japanese team, which boasts of local stars Joji and Kosuke Takeuchi, Makoto Hiejima and Takuya Kawamura. The Philippines is ranked No. 30 in the Fiba rankings, while Japan is No. 50.
After Japan, Gilas Pilipinas will host No.57 Chinese Taipei on November 27 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.