Gilas seeks to end Asiad gold drought

(MENAFN- Arab News) GILAS PILIPINAS leaves for Incheon in South Korea on Saturday to gun for the Philippines' first basketball gold medal in more than five decades in the Asian Games with the Nationals carrying the prayers of an entire nation behind them.

Though Gilas took a huge blow when it lost the battle to keep Andray Blatche in the lineup because of eligibility issues the morale of the squad remains high as it goes into possible clashes with the likes of Iran Korea and China among others next week.

The Philippines because of its very impressive showing in the Fiba World Cup two weeks ago in Seville Spain looms as a solid championship threat even with Blatche not in the roster.

Marcus Douthit who has been a part of the Gilas program since 2009 and who actually has his family in Manila has been called upon for another tour of duty with the Nationals and is only too willing to take on the challenge.

'I'm ready. I was ready for the Fiba (World Cup) if you know what I mean' Douthit said.

Douthit the 6-foot-10 former Los Angeles Laker in the NBA helped the Philippines qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 36 years August last year when the Filipinos finished a fighting second to Iran and Hamed Haddadi.

But with age fast catching up on him and because of bigger more agile players in the world stage Gilas coaching staff led by Chot Reyes enlisted Blatche as its new naturalized player and saw action in the World Cup that had the Philippines winning at that level for the first time in four decades an 81-79 overtime victory over Senegal.

It was understandable that many had written Douthit off especially after seeing Blatche playing impressively against the best players in the world.

Many didn't expect the 34-year-old Douthit to be making a comeback so soon. Many actually didn't expect Douthit to be coming back at all.

And with the Philippines pushed into a corner because of the Blatche eligibility case Douthit has been recalled and will carry the weight of an entire nation expecting nothing but the Filipinos going all the way in Korea.

But is Douthit up to it

'It's challenges like that which make you want to get up early in the morning and go to work' Douthit said as he gets another crack at the region's finest big men once more especially the NBA veteran Haddadi.

'I've been doubted all my life' Douthit said. 'But look where we are now. We just played in the World Cup.'

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Iran remains to be the favorite in the event not only because of Haddadi but because of a battery of lethal scorers led by the very creative Samad Nikkhah Bahrami.

The Iranians who finished third in the last Asian Games held in Guangzhou China have the size agility discipline and smarts to go all the way in Incheon.

The Philippines will meet the Iranians as early as the group plays being bracketed together and that game would more or less give everyone an idea on how far both will go in the quadrennial event.

Bahrami has done his damage on the Philippines a number of times already including an explosive performance at the Mall of Asia last year in the title game which the Iranians controlled and won by 12 points.

The 6-foot-7 shooting forward also had a memorable outing against the Philippines in the Jones Cup in 2012 when the Filipinos starring the pint-sized LA Tenorio upset the United States by one in their final game to win the title.

The Filipinos lost just one game in Chinese-Taipei that year to Lebanon 91-72.

Jones Cup rules are different from that of other major tournaments. In the Jones Cup only one round is played with the team having the best record after that declared the champion.

It was also in the Jones Cup that year that the Philippines last won over Iran when it scored a 77-75 decision by surviving an explosive second half performance by Bahrami.

I vividly recall Bahrami being held to just three points by Gabe Norwood in the first half as the Philippines played with command. But in the final two periods when everything was on the line Bahrami made a mockery out of the Philippine defense.

He went on to score 26 points against Norwood and the others in the second half and almost singlehandedly won the game for the Iranians who didn't have Haddadi that year but also defeated the Americans in double overtime.

That Bahrami was able to run rings around Norwood's defense when he wanted to up to now puzzles me. That performance has left an indelible mark in my mind about how great Bahrami is.

I would love to see Norwood shut him down this time but the Fil-American might need to do it twice just for good measure with the second one coming in the gold medal match in Korea.