According to Gilas head coach Rajko Toroman, they have yet to hear from the Gaungzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (Gagoc) on the revised schedule of men’s basketball after Saudi Arabia and Kuwait withdrew from the Games.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilpinas (SBP) executive director Noli Eala told Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s United Nations Avenue that they are burning the wires only to secure the new draw as soon as possible.

“We have sought clarification on this but as we speak, we’re getting no response,” said Eala. “This is a concern for our national team and the SBP but we don’t have the control of the format.”

On the original schedule before the two teams’ withdrawal, the Philippines was to meet Saudi Arabia on November 13 in Group B in the first round. Saudi Arabia withdrew and Gagoc conveniently made Kuwait as a replacement, but not for long as the Kuwaitis pulled out, too.

Eala said he got initial information from the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) that the Guangzhou men’s basketball competitions will carry a two-group format—one with four teams and the other with three—with the top two squads from each group after the first round advancing.

Although Eala said they are confident Gilas will get through the first round, the players could risk getting injured or burned out for the second stage where the matches could get extremely physical.

“We can beat them roughly in the first round but still, we will exert some effort and the risk of injury is there. When we face the seeded teams, bugbog na tayo,” said Eala, who is hoping Gagoc comes up with the revised schedule before the team departs for Guangzhou on November 9.

Toroman, however, said regardless of the format, Gilas is ready for its first major international competition.

“We are preparing just like we are preparing against Kuwait,” said Toroman, who added that except for Filipino-American Marcio Lassiter who is still not 100-percent in shape because of a hip injury, everybody else is ready for Guangzhou.

“But with the three PBA [Philippine Basketball Association] players I have plus Chris Lutz, I think we can reach our goal in the Asian Games which is to reach the semifinals,” Toroman told the same forum. Asi Taulava (Meralco), Kelly Williams (Talk ’N Text) and Solomon Mercado (Rain or Shine) are Toroman’s professionals on the team.

Fiba-Asia champion Iran is on Gilas’s schedule on November 16 and Qatar the following day. The Filipinos will take a day’s break before squaring off with the dangerous Japan on November 19. Toroman said Japan has four or five players who played in the Summer League of the National Basketball Association.

Gilas will then face the winner of the Afghanistan-India duel on November 21 before meeting Chinese Taipei the following day.

Besides the format, Eala is also concerned about accreditation cards of Lutz and Mercado, who were inserted in the team in the last

Joel Orellana, Business Mirror