Gilas Pilipinas plans to go back into training later this month to begin preparations for the FIBA Asia Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Coach Tab Baldwin said the team will likely go back to the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna on July 20 at the earliest, depending on the quarantine regulations the team must observe upon returning from its just-concluded FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament stint in Serbia.
“We don’t have exact dates yet and we don’t know exactly what the protocol measures will be in the Philippines, but it looks like it will be back to the Calamba bubble for us at this point,” Baldwin said after Gilas was eliminated from the OQT with a 94-67 loss to the Dominican Republic.
“We’re probably looking at something around July 20th to the 25th to begin our preparations. I think we will have varying degrees of quarantines when we get back with vaccinations and some without vaccinations, so we’re not sure when we will be able to get back and have a bit of a break and normal life and then get back to work,” he added.
Gilas has held multiple two-week training bubbles in Calamba in the months leading up to the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers which resulted in sweeping the final three games of Group A in Clark, Pampanga.
The national squad spent a few more days in Clark where it also faced China in a tune-up match that ended in a tie before departing for Belgrade for the OQT.
Gilas is set to go home after losing its two matches in Group A of the Belgrade OQT, including a near-upset of host Serbia that ended in an 83-76 defeat.