Rain or Shine will most likely represent the Philippines in the Asian Games next month in the face of the bans 10 Gilas Pilipinas players were slapped with by the governing Fiba last week.
Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner Willie Marcial said that this is almost a done deal and he said that the team’s schedule in the season-ending Governors’ Cup will be altered for them to be able to squeeze in the Asiad campaign.
Yeng Guiao, Rain or Shine’s former coach who also called the shots in a 2007 Philippine Team that played in the Asian Championship in China, will also likely be the coach of this bunch of Nationals.
Marcial, though, said that Rain or Shine will not be able to take players from other PBA teams with the Governors’ Cup going on.
“That cannot be done, because the PBA will not be stopping play for the Asian Games,” Marcial said.
TNT KaTropa was supposed to represent the Philippines in Indonesia for the August 18-Sept. 2 Games, but suspensions to Gilas Pilipinas regulars in the aftermath of that ugly brawl last July 2 against Australia all but made the Texters shorthanded.
Jason Castro, RR Pogoy and Troy Rosario were in that Gilas team against the Aussies, with Pogoy being meted a five-game suspension from international play by Fiba.
Marcial even went on to suggest that Rain or Shine borrow players from the Gilas Cadet program where they can tap the likes of Richie Rivero, Kobe Paras and Abu Tratter.
The PBA’s board of governors will meet Thursday to discuss this matter.