MANILA — Coach Yeng Guiao was indeed true to his word when he said that Gilas Pilipinas will take a quick flight back from Jakarta.
Just one night after clinching fifth place in the Asian Games men’s basketball competition, Gilas returned home, landing at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay.
Gilas flew in via AirAsia Flight Z2236 straight from the Indonesian capital, which landed just before 5 p.m. Saturday.
Guiao and Chris Standhardinger decided to make a quick way out of the airport all the way to the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City as their respective teams, NLEX and San Miguel, are playing in a PBA Governors’ Cup game at the said arena. Standhardinger, in fact, begged off from an interview with reporters present at the airport.
On the other hand, Magnolia’s Paul Lee and NorthPort’s Stanley Pringle also declined for an interview even if their respective teams were playing by the time they landed.
Except for Jordan Clarkson, who flew back to Cleveland to join his NBA team in its preseason preparation, the Asian Games roster, which is also composed of Asi Taulava, Maverick Ahanmisi, Gabe Norwood, Beau Belga, Poy Erram, James Yap, Chris Tiu, and Raymond Almazan, is expected to be in attendance as Gilas begins its grind for the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers on Monday night.
Guiao also invited Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson and Greg Slaughter, San Miguel’s Marcio Lassiter and Alex Cabagnot, Blackwater’s Allein Maliksi, and Magnolia’s Ian Sangalang to training.
So far, only Thompson has expressed his interest on showing up to the Gilas practice. ( Ivan Stewart Saldajeno/PNA)
