MANILA — After a successful campaign for Gilas Pilipinas at the 19th Asian Games that was spearheaded by team manager Alfrancis Chua, the ball is back in Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas’ (SBP) court.

The San Miguel Corporation sports director said that he does not know whether he will be tasked to take part in managing Gilas in the future, with tournaments such as the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers and the Olympic Qualifying Tournament starting next year.

“Sa ngayon, ‘di ko muna iniisip yan eh. Yung SBP naman, marami silang plano. Ito nga, aksidente lang nangyari, pero ngayon? Plano? Sa ngayon, wala pa,” the Barangay Ginebra team governor said on Monday at a press conference at the PBA Office in Quezon City.

“Sabi ko nga, ako, si Commissioner Willie [Marcial], si Vice Chairman Bobby [Rosales], si Chairman Ricky [Vargas], yung tinawag kaming apat to handle this, napagbigyan namin, at talagang binigay namin yung 100%. Kung may mga susunod? Hindi ko alam. Baka may plano silang mas maganda.”

But the former Sta. Lucia mentor knows what the SBP must do ahead of the aforementioned competitions to avoid another debacle — plan and strategize as soon as possible.

“I’m telling them we have to plan it now,” Chua stressed. “Yung celebration tapos na yun eh. We have to plan kung ano mang dadating.”

“They have to check the schedules. Schedule ng PBA ano ba? Tatama dito? Kukuha kayo kayo ng mga PBA players? Hindi aabot dahil hanggang. February kami,” he added.

“So what’s your next step? Kukuha kayo sa UAAP? NCAA? Hindi biro, kailangan planuhin niyo na yan.”

Marcial then went on to support what Chua pleaded for, saying that the PBA and the basketball governing body must align their calendars and plans.

“Kailangan magusap muna kami ng SBP kung anong plano. After ng SBP, kailangan kausapin ko ang mga governors kung ano talaga ang plano,” said Marcial.

“Mag-present and SBP sa mga governors, tapos tignan natin kung anong pwedeng maibigay ng PBA.”

Marcial expressed how the PBA has been bending over backward to cater to the SBP’s needs, but is still committed to helping them in any way that they may do,

“Andyan naman kami palagi eh. Pero yun nga, nahihirapan na rin ang PBA. Tulad ng sinabi ni vice, malaki na ang kawalan, ang sakripisyo, nahihiya na kami sa team owners. Pero tignan natin kung ano pa yung mabibigay namin,” he said.

“Kailangan namin ang programa ng SBP, ano talaga programa nila, para [makita] kung anong kaya naming suportahan.”

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