Coach Chot Reyes Apologized Follow Loss of Gilas vs South Sudan in FIBA
Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes apologized after Philippine basketball team loss to South Sudan in FIBA World Cup 2023.
The national basketball team’s luck has not yet turned around in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, as they were once again unsuccessful in securing a victory. This time, they faced off against newcomer South Sudan and were defeated 87-68 in the classification round on Thursday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
As a result of this loss, Gilas is now also ineligible for a direct bid to the Paris Olympics, since Japan secured their second win in the World Cup. Head coach Chot Reyes expressed his apologies for the disappointing performance of Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA World Cup.
Struggling with poor shooting, the national team was unable to keep up with the speed and impressive long-range shooting of South Sudan, who dominated in the first quarter. Despite their attempts to rally, the Filipinos couldn’t overcome a 21-point deficit.
Reyes stated, “Numerous times, I said we are really sorry we are not able to deliver and take full accountability and full responsibility.”
When questioned about his earlier statement regarding learning from losses, Reyes remarked, “We should have learned earlier; now is the time to win and execute.”
This marks the fourth consecutive loss for Gilas Pilipinas since the group stage of the tournament. The team needed two victories in the classification phase to have a shot at being the top-ranked Asian team in the competition.
Reyes expressed his disappointment, saying, “We knew this is the game we’d absolutely have to win, because somebody else will get the wins. That’s why I’m very disappointed.”
“I’m not surprised that Japan won. There goes our Olympic dream for now,” he added, based on the article of ABS-CBN News.
The highest-ranked Asian team in the FIBA World Cup automatically qualifies for the Olympics. Japan secured their first win against Finland, while China and Lebanon each had one win.
Gilas still has one more game against China on Saturday, September 2. They are hoping to emerge victorious in their final match, which could increase their chances of earning a spot in an Olympic qualifying tournament next year.
Meanwhile, Gilas star guard Jordan Clarkson feels little weird at Chot Reyes getting booed by the Filipino basketball fans. JC was concerned after witnessing the Araneta Coliseum crowd boo Gilas head coach prior of their FIBA World Cup game against Italy.
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