By REYNALD MAGALLON
The PBA has reaffirmed its commitment to support Gilas Pilipinas by adjusting its calendar for its 50th season to give way to the FIBA World Cup qualifiers and the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.
PBA chairman Ricky Vargas stressed that the league will be backing up the national team even if it means extending its season, possibly even reaching as late as December of next year.
“We want to qualify to the Olympics,” said Vargas during the league’s annual planning in Las Vegas.
“We’re all-in in our support to our chairman and going with it is our support to Gilas,” echoed PBA vice chairman Alfrancis Chua.
With the goal of giving enough time for Gilas to prepare for the windows, the PBA board had approved the recommendation to take breaks to give way to the qualifiers. In turn, the league could go to as long as more than 14 months
The windows are set in November, February, July, August and November next year.
Gilas, led by Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone, and PBA players June Mar Fajardo, Scottie Thompson, Justin Brownlee, Chris Newsome , CJ Perez, and Calvin Oftana, is eyeing one of the seven slots allotted for Asia in the FIBA World Cup in Qatar.
Like in the 2023 World Cup held in Manila, Gilas can qualify to the 2028 LA Olympics by being the best placed Asian team.
In the Asian Games, on the other hand, Gilas will be coming in as the team with the biggest target on its back after winning the gold medal in the 2023 edition in Hangzhou, effectively ending a 61-year title-drought.
“Mabigat na tulong ang kailangan, at kasama kami sa magbibigay ng tulong,” said PBA commissioner Willie Marcial.
The Nationals will open the qualifiers with a pair of games against Guam in November.
