Gilas 3x3 to start FIBA OQT training bubble next week

The Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 team will start their training next week in preparation for the FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT).

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) said the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has approved the federation's request for players CJ Perez (San Miguel), Mo Tautuaa (San Miguel), Joshua Munzon (Terrafirma), and Alvin Pasaol (Meralco) to train at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.

This is also where the Gilas Pilipinas 5x5 pool is currently training.

Apart from the four, Rain or Shine's Leonard Santillan will also train as part of the team's reserves. Karl Dehesa, who last saw action in the PBA in 2018 with Phoenix, will also be a part of the reserve list.

SBP president Al Panlilio is confident that the country will send a competitive team in Austria.

“It’s a big challenge to upset teams ranked in the Top 10 of 3x3 in Slovenia and France but we have a good combination of skill, speed, size, and strength to give them a run for their money," Panlilio said in a statement. "We may be ranked ahead of Qatar and the Dominican Republic but we can’t count them out either. It’s good to get this chance to prepare so our players can get back into game shape and develop chemistry," he added.

The OQT will be held on May 26-30 in Graz, Austria, and the Philippines is pooled with Slovenia, France, Qatar, and Dominican Republic for the group stage. —Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA News