An elusive Olympic berth and a naturalized player who will serve the Philippine squad for a long stretch will be the lofty goals of Gilas Pilipinas women’s team.
Erika Dy, executive director of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, shared the group’s ambitious vision on the heels of the hoop governing body’s Women’s Summit attended by various stakeholders recently at the Marco Polo Hotel in Ortigas.
“When we discussed goals and I brought up the Olympics, Coach Patrick Aquino didn’t look at me like I was crazy,” wrote Dy in a Viber message. “He knew that I was serious and even better, he believed it was possible, too.”
“I like the fact that he is up for the challenge of making the Olympics.”
Under the tutelage of Aquino, the Gilas cagebelles are currently at 40th spot, the best Southeast Asian country in the current world rankings released by the International Basketball Federation.
Aquino, who also serves as the program director for the women’s squad, was impressed in the team’s progress.
The cagebelles finished sixth in the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup last year, the highest-placed finish by the Filipinas.
Gilas women also secured the silver medal in last year’s Southeast Asian Games.
“That’s impressive progress,” wrote Aquino via Messenger. “Climbing in the ranking reflects the team’s dedication and improvement. It’s a testament to their hard work and talent.”
Dy, who succeeded long-time executive director and former PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios late last year, started discussions about working together to develop an elite women’s basketball league that would benefit the top female basketball players in the country.
“There’s no problem with regards to the competitiveness of college basketball in the country for women, the problem is after college, where do these players go? Where can they play if they don’t make it to the national team? Kung wala tayong league, we won’t see the late-bloomers, sayang din talaga,” said Dy.
Just recently, the PBA had included women’s basketball in the 3×3 circuit to give them a platform of showcasing their talent.
The defunct Philippine Basketball League, then being headed by Yeng Guiao as commissioner, created a first-of-its-kind tournament for women in 1998 and it was revived in 2008 before the amateur loop folded up.
In 2019, the Women’s National Basketball League was created, but there was no competition held last year and chances of staging another event remains a question.
Dy also answered the prospects of tapping a naturalized player who will reinforce the Gilas women quintet in the long run.
“Yes, (we’ve discussed it),” added Dy. “But it will likely be a foreigner who is already here in the country. Think of Ange Kouame.”
Also attending the Women’s Summit were players from the national team such as Afril Bernardo, Camille Nolasco, Andrea Tongco and Louna Ozar were also present.
“With what’s happening in the world of women’s basketball right now, with the US NCAA, let’s try to follow what is happening there. It also affected us here with the tryouts that we held. We had more than a hundred girls trying out for the Gilas team,” said Aquino, who collaborated with Chris Gopez’s Fil-Am Nation in selecting Filipina players based in the United States and different parts of the world.
The objective of the Fil-Am Nation is to encourage young Filipinas based overseas to secure Philippine passports before they reach the age of 16.
