GILAS PILIPINAS: LOOK WHO SHOWED UP IN THE GILAS PRACTICE

Tonight is the first training day of the Gilas Pilipinas team for the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup. Surprisingly, a familiar face showed up. It is not the players but a former guide of our region basketball rival - it is former Thailand National Basketball Team head coach Tim Lewis.

Thailand's SEABA head coach, Tim Lewis is now part of the Gilas Pilipinas coaching staff 🇵🇭 pic.twitter.com/1Pzgj53Gpa

— Sports5 (@Sports5PH) July 27, 2017

Lewis was the coach of the Thailand NT since 2016 and was the coach when Gilas faced them during the SEABA tournament here in Manila. According to the news, after Thailand took home the bronze in that tournament, Lewis went back home for vacation. When he came back to Thailand, he was informed that he was going to be fired due to the team's performance. This came as a surprise to him and look where he is now - in the stable with the regional champions.

This can be an advantage to the SEA Games team, Since they will be facing Thailand in their first game on August 20, they might not have Christian Standhardinger and Carl Bryan Cruz since they are also in the FIBA Asia Cup line up which will only end on the same day. Though we are undermanned, the familiarity of Tim Lewis with the Thailand team will come in handy.

GILAS PILIPINAS : GILAS CADETS WINS THE 2016 SEABA STANKOVIC CUP

The Philippines remains to be the men's basketball champion in Southeast Asia.

The Gilas Cadets team bagged the 2016 SEABA Stankovic Cup in Bangkok, Thailand after sweeping the elimination round and beating Thailand in the Championship game, 97 - 80. The cadets team pulled out this victory even though they were only formed a few weeks before the tournament started.

The team is bannered by pro-ballers Troy Rosario of Talk N Text and Almond Vosotros of Blackwater Elite. The core of the UAAP champion team FEU is also in the team - Mac Belo, Raymark Jose, Mike Tolomia, RR Pogoy, Ken Holmqvist and Russel Escoto. Other members were Arellano playmaker Jio Jalalon, UST standout Kevin Ferrer, Ateneo's Von Pessumal and Batang Gilas U-18 player from Chiang Kai Shek College Jonas Tibayan.

Gold Medal for Gilas Cadets in the SEABA Stankovic Cup!

Read more: https://t.co/6lLHNU7zzz pic.twitter.com/yJLKGdKyaE

— Gilas Pilipinas (@smartgilasph) May 28, 2016

The championship game came 2 days after a very close game against Thailand in the eliminations, where the Gilas cadets escaped with a 66-65 win over the home team. The cadets came prepared this time in the championship, but Thailand started strong, leading most of the way in the first half. In the second half, the GIlas cadets started to pull away but ended the 3rd quarter in the lead by only 5 points.

In the last quarter, it was Mac Belo's 8 point run (with 2 three point shots and a put back) and Jio Jalalon's agressiveness to break the zone defense that prompted the team's breakaway run and never looked back after that.

The title was last won by Singapore in 2014 when Philippines did not participate in the tournament since Manila was the host of the 2014 FIBA Asia Championship and they automatically qualify for the tournament.

With this win, the Philippines does not only stamped its dominance in the region in terms of men's basketball but also qualified the team to the 2016 FIBA Asia challenge, which will serve as the qualifying tournament for the 2017 FIBA Asia Championship which will feature teams from Asia and Oceania.

Congratulations Gilas Cadets!

GILAS PILIPINAS : 2016 SEABA STANKOVIC CUP SCHEDULE

The Gilas Cadet team is currently competing in the 5th SEABA Stankovic Cup for Men in Bangkok, Thailand. Participating countries are the Philippines, host Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The tournament will run from May 22 to 28, 2016 and will serve as the qualifying tournament for the 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge. The top 2 teams will advance to the said tournament. 

The Gilas Cadets team is bannered by 2 PBA players - Troy Rosario of Talk N Text and Almond Vosotros of Blackwater Elite. The core of the UAAP season 78 champions - FEU Tamaraws are also part of the team - Mac Belo, Roger Pogoy, Russel Escoto, Mike Tolomia, Ken Holmqvist and Raymar Jose. Other collegiate stars in the team are Von Pessumal of Ateneo, Kevin Ferrer of UST and Jio Jalalon of Arellano University. A member of the Batang Gilas U18 team who recently won the SEABA U18 title also made it to the team - Jonas Tibayan of Chiang Kai Shek College.

Here is the schedule of the games for this week :

Source : Mono 29 SEABA website

2015 SEABA CHAMPIONSHIP : SCHEDULE OF PILIPINAS - GILAS CADETS

The Gilas Cadets team will be representing the Philippines in the 2015 Southeast Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) Championship from April 27 to May 1, 2015 in Singapore. The top 3 teams will qualify for the 2015 FIBA Asia Championships to be held in China later this year.

The Gilas Cadets, formerly known as Sinag Pilipinas, will be composed of the following players:

Marcus Douthit
Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. 
Kiefer Ravena (Ateneo)
Earl Scottie Thompson (Perpetual)
Glenn Khobuntin (NU)
Jeth Troy Rosario (NU)
Almond Vosotros (La Salle)
Norbert Torres (La Salle)
Rey Mark Belo (FEU)
Russel Escoto (FEU)
Jiovani Jalalon (Arellano)
Kevin Ferrer (UST)

Coach Tab Baldwin will be leading the team,

The team is scheduled to play the following games:

• April 27 6pm - vs Indonesia - Live Stats
• April 28 4pm - vs Laos - Live Stats
• April 29 6pm - vs Malaysia - Live Stats
• April 30 6pm - vs Brunei - Live Stats
• May 1 8pm - vs Singapore - Live Stats

BATANG GILAS SWEEPS 2015 SEABA U-16 CHAMPIONSHIP

The Philippine Under 16 men's basketball team, dubbed as the Batang Gilas, sweeps the 2015 Southeast Asian Basketball Association Under-16 Championship held at the Xavier University Gymnasium at Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental.

This is the host country's 3rd championship title in as many tournaments. With the title, they already qualified for the 2015 FIBA Asia U-16 Championship to be held in India on July 2 - 12, 2015. Also qualified to this tournament are Malaysia and Indonesia, who placed 2nd and 3rd in the SEABA tournament, respectively.

Batang Gilas won all their games and won by an average margin of 56 points. They won their first game against Malaysia (106 - 69), next was against Thailand (105 - 48), then trashed first timer Brunei (112 - 31) and swept it by a win over Indonesia (106 - 50)

The team is composed of San Josef Belangel, Jed Colonia, Gian Mamuyac, Rhayyan Amsali, Romulo Berjay, Ralph Escalona, Gillian Flores, Will Gozum, Shaun Ildefonso, Juan Gomez de Liano, Kris Harvey Pagsanjan and Reginald Mallilin. The team is coached by Michael Oliver.

The team is aiming to qualify to the 2016 FIBA Under-17 World Championship and duplicate the feat of our U-16 team in 2013.

Photo is from Rey Joble - Interaksyon website

2011 seaba championships: philippines sweeps tournament, wins title

smart gilas pilipinas once again proved the philippines' dominance in basketball in the southeast asian region by sweeping the tournament and capturing the crown in the 2011 southeast asian basketball association (seaba) championship. the tournament was held last june 23 to 26, 2011 in jakarta indonesia.

four countries participated in the tournament, philippines, malaysia, singapore and indonesia. the philippines swept the round robin elimination round by beating malaysia (97-71), indonesia (94-54) and singapore (106-51).

in the finals, they again beat indonesia by a whooping 39 points, 89-50. indonesia placed second and malaysia got the third spot.

the win comes even if the philippine team is only playing with 9 healthy players. the other players in the line up were down with several injuries.the reinforcements from the philippine basketball association also were not able to play.

the top three teams in the tournament gets a ticket to the 2011 fiba asia qualifying tournament, which is a qualifier to the 2012 london summer olympics.

images are from: http://www.fibaasia.net/