There won’t be any sign of the Gilas Pilipinas in this year’s Jones Cup.
Gilas Pilipinas has officially received a formal letter stating that they won’t be invited to participate in the upcoming 35th Jones Cup despite being reigning champions. The letter that came from the organizers cited several reasons that might jeopardize the team’s safety given the on-going rift between the Philippines and Taiwan.
Relations between the Philippines and Taiwan have been tense after the death of a Taiwanese fisherman who allegedly trespassed in Philippine waters. The Philippine Coast Guard has said the Taiwanese fishing vessel tried to ram the Fisheries bureau patrol boat its personnel were in.
Jones Cup organizers, well aware of reported attacks on Filipinos in Taiwain, responded by putting the safety of participants first. Organizers could not guarantee the safety of our representatives nor of the huge crowd of Filipino workers expected to show their support for the Gilas team.
While it is correct to make the team’s safety a priority, this occurrence will still be seen as a huge blow for the Gilas Pilipinas. Head coach Chot Reyes had been eyeing the Jones Cup as the team’s final preparation for the up and coming FIBA (Fédération Internationale de Basket-ball)-Asia qualifiers.
The Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) is also in agreement with the withdrawal of the Philippine Basketball team from the Jones Cup tournament and is not planning to protest or appeal the team’s omission from the tournament.
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Photo: Gilas Pilipinas Facebook page
