The POC is not giving up.
The chances of Terrence Romeo, Calvin Abueva, Mo Tautuaa, and Jason Perkins playing in this year's Asian Games is getting dimmer by the minute.
But the Philippine Olympic Committee is not waving its flag yet in fighting for the inclusion of the four Gilas Pilipinas members.
"We’ll push it every minute and they deny it. We will push it a thousand times, we’ll push it every time they deny it," POC chief Bambol Tolentino said in a statement.
Apparently, the four athlete's inclusion has already started with the "delegation registration meeting" or DRM which was supposed to be concluded last Sunday.
Tolentino hopes no politics will be involved in the final decision for Abueva and company.
"We are praying for fair sports and we strongly hope to separate all other issues from the Games. Geopolitics has no place in sports."
Abueva is raring for a comeback in the national team. He last played for Gilas in the 2019 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Gilas had to scramble for a lineup shakeup just days before the Asian Games due to an issue with the list sent to the organizing committee. Five new players were inserted in the Gilas lineup in the scenario that the appeal for Abueva, Romeo, Perkins, and Tautuaa is denied.