Matapos ang ginawang sweep ng third window ng 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, nagpahinga lamang ng isang araw (nitong Lunes) ang Gilas Pilipinas bago bumalik sa pag-iensayo sa Martes, Hunyo 22.

Paliwanag ni Gilas head coach Tab Baldwin, simula naman ngayon ng kanilang paghahanda para FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament sa Belgrade, Serbia na magsisimula sa Hunyo 29.

Bago umalis patungong Serbia, magkakatoon muna ng tune-up game ang Gilas kontra China na gaya nila ay sasabak din sa qualifying tournament.

"Our plans before that are to have some practices here in the Philippines before we fly out and we’re very hopeful that we might get a practice game against China, who’s also staying here before they go to Canada for more preparations for themselves," ani Baldwin.

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Pagdedesisyunan pa aniya nila kung sinu-sino ang mga playes na bubuo sa final 12-man lineup na isasabak sa Belgrade .

"I think we’ll be taking either 12 or 13 players but we haven’t made a final decision on that yet but obviously we’re only allowed to play 12, we can’t do what we did here and change the roster," wika ni Baldwin.

Sa Serbia, unang makasasagupa ng Gilas ang host Serbia sa Hunyo 30 kasunod ang Dominican Republic sa Hulyo 1 kung saan ang top two teams ay aabante playoffs sa Hulyo 3. 

Marivic Awitan