Calvin Abueva's fate of making a Gilas return will only be determined on Tuesday. PBA Images (file photo) |
PASAY--The Philippine Olympic Committee will only find out about the fate of Calvin Abueva, Jason Perkins, and the rest of the Filipino athletes who are being lobbied to be sneaked into the Asian Games at the 11th hour on Tuesday.
POC president Bambol Tolentino said on Monday that they would only meet the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee again the following day to find out if their appeal for replacement athletes has been approved or not.
Initially set for Sunday, HAGOC wanted to have the meeting with the POC on Monday instead, but the POC had already set its send-off event for Asian Games-bound athletes on the said day, thus, setting the meeting on Tuesday instead.
Tolentino, Philippine Sports Commission chairman Dickie Bachmann, Senate Committee on Sports chairman Bong Go, and a good bunch of athletes playing in the Asian Games and the Asian Para Games attended the said send-off ceremonies at the PICC.
Among those not in attendance was Gilas' men's 5x5 team, which is among the subjects for appeal.
The POC, along with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, lobbied for Abueva and Perkins to replace the injured Brandon Rosser and Jamie Malonzo.
However, Abueva and Perkins were not listed in the initial 60-man pool submitted for consideration to the final entry by name for Gilas in the Asian Games men's 5x5 basketball event, so an appeal had to be made.
If approved, Abueva and Perkins complete Gilas' "Final 12" to Hangzhou, which currently consists of locks Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar, June Mar Fajardo, Justin Brownlee, Ange Kouame, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, RR Pogoy, Terrence Romeo, and Mo Tautuaa.
If not, Stanley Pringle, the 13th member of the pool, cracks the final lineup, but the possibility of Gilas only bringing in 11 players for the Asian Games looms.
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