May 14, 2021

Gilas 3x3 team gets timely scrimmages for OQT bid

THE Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 men's team re-entered the Inspire Sports Academy for the final phase of its preparation for the coming Olympic Qualification Tournament in Graz, Austria.

The quintet of CJ Perez, Mo Tautuaa, Joshua Munzon, Alvin Pasaol, and alternates Leonard Santillan and Karl Dehasa went back to Calamba, Laguna on Friday for another bubble training before the team departs for the May 26 to 30 qualifying event to the Tokyo Olympics.

This time, the 3x3 side coached by Ronnie Magsanoc, will have full scrimmages as part of its training, with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) forming and providing a practice team to give the nationals a semblance of competition.

The practice players are composed of Tonino Gonzaga, Agosto Flor, and Malick Diouf.

Diouf is a 6-foot-10 center from Senegal who previously suited up for Centro Escolar University, but is now with University of the Philippines.

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Formerly from Ateneo, Gonzaga represents Nueva Ecija in the 3x3 circuit, while Flor is a product of Philippine Merchant Marine Academy who was selected in the fifth round of the recent PBA draft by the San Miguel Beermen.

Gonzaga and Flor also served as practice players for the Gilas 3x3 team that won the inaugural gold medal when the half court event was first played in the Southeast Asian Games two years ago. Tautuaa and Perez were part of that gold medal winning squad.

The Gilas team is bracketed in Pool C of the qualifiers where it plays countries like France, Slovenia, Qatar, and the Dominican Republic.

It needs to win at least two of its matches to qualify in the knockout stage of the meet. (RG)