(UPDATE) GILAS Pilipinas is not leaving anything to chance as the national squad kicked off its preparations for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament last Friday at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.
The training camp, under head coach Tim Cone, involves two court practices and sandwiched by a gym workout through Sunday before Gilas returns to Manila to play the Taiwan Mustangs in an open-to-public tune-up game at the PhilSports Arena.
"Twice a day court practice and gym workout in between," Gilas team manager Richard del Rosario told The Manila Times in baring the daily training camp routine of the Philippine men's squad.
At the moment, Gilas is down to an 11-man roster with ace playmaker Scottie Thompson struck out due to a back injury.
There's been no formal announcement on who could take the PBA Season 47 Most Valuable Player's slot, though Cone could play Chris Newsome, CJ Perez or Dwight Ramos at the point guard spot, something that Chot Reyes did in the past.
Thompson is the third player to go down with an injury after young and energetic big man AJ Edu and Jamie Malonzo.
The 6-foot-11 Edu is still recovering from a knee injury he sustained since late last year while playing for the Toyama Grouses in the Japan B.League, while Malonzo sustained a left calf muscle injury.
Veteran Ginebra slot man Japeth Aguilar has been recalled to again take the spot of Edu, while Ateneo stretch big man Mason Amos was elevated in lieu of the athletic Malonzo.
After the tune-up match versus the Mustangs, Gilas is scheduled to leave for Europe on Tuesday.
The national squad plays Turkey in a tune-up game on June 27, followed by Poland on June 30.
Gilas will kick off its FIBA OQT by facing host country and world No. 6 Latvia on July 3, followed by Georgia the next day in Riga, Latvia. All three squads are bunched at Group A.
Brazil, Cameroon and Montenegro are in the other group.
The top two teams from each group will move to the crossover semis. From there, the top two surviving squads dispute one of the four remaining spots for the Paris Olympics.
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