Ni ANN ENCARNACION
READY to go na ang Gilas Pilipinas Men sa kanilang preparasyon para sa 2023 FIBA World Cup Asia & Oceania Qualifiers.
Matapos ang FIBA World Cup Draw kung saan kabilang ang national squad sa Group A kasama ang New Zealand, South Korea at India, batid na ng Gilas team kung ano-ano ang mga dapat nilang paghandaan. At isa na rito ay ang resbak ng Korea, ayon kay team captain Isaac Go.
Magugunitang sa nakaraang 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers final window noong Hunyo na ginanap sa bansa, dalawang beses na tinalo ng Gilas ang Korea.
“I think when you have vengeance games, there’s a little bit more drive to prepare a little bit better, a little bit more focus,” sabi ni Go sa ‘The Game’ ng One Sports.
Maging ang naturalized player ng Philippine team na si Ange Kouame ay ganito rin ang paniniwala.
Kaya wala aniyang balak ang koponan na magkumpiyansa lalo’t muling makakaharap ng Gilas ang Korea dalawang buwan mula ngayon.
Excited naman si assistant coach Sandy Arespacochaga sa napipintong tapatan na naman ng rival teams.
“We’re excited of course that we’re gonna play Korea again, our rivals. They’re a very good team and we expect that they’re really going to prepare well and have a vengeance – talagang paghahandaan nila tayo, for sure and we welcome that. We appreciate that because that will help us to become better.”
At kahit pasok na sa World Cup bilang isa sa hosts ng torneo, puntirya pa rin ng Gilas na manalo sa kanilang mga nakatakdang laro.
“Of course, we are all aware that the goal is 2023 and we have to get ready and be prepared. As much as possible, we want the best competition, a very good challenge for our team to get us ready for 2023, but at the same time of course we all want to be able to win our games against our opponents. So, still the same focus for the coaching staff and for the players,” dagdag ni Arespacochaga.
Nakatakda ang World Cup qualifiers mula Nobyembre 2021 hanggang Pebrero 2023 via home and away games format.
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