The Gilas Pilipinas Women will need to make last-minute adjustments to their roster, following the decision of the organizing committee of the Southeast Asian Games.
The Gilas Pilipinas Women took a hit in their preparation for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games after it was ruled that “naturalized” players will not be allowed to play for their respective national teams once the games get going in December.
That means players who got their passports past the age of 16, even though they have Filipino heritage, will not be allowed to play.
Having been preparing for the SEA Games for months now, Gilas Women head coach Patrick Aquino said they’ll need to make some adjustments because of the decision — which, frustratingly for them was only handed down on Friday.
“Of course, there’s also a stumbling block because of what happened today. I think they released the decision already about naturalized players which is 'yung mga nakakuha ng passport after the age of 16. So we have to find more, we have to look at the pool, who’s available, who can be replacing them,” said Aquino during the SEA Games sendoff at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Unlike in 3x3, where Thailand is employing a passport only rule, the 5-on-5 is a lot more stringent which does not allow players who got their passports later than 16 years old — this is even harsher than FIBA rules, which does allow one naturalized player.
Gilas Women are also dealing with issues on availability, with long-time veteran Jack Animam also absent due to her commitments to her club in Japan.
‘They should’ve told us earlier’
All in all, Aquino knows that there’s no choice for the national team than to play with the cards that they’re dealt with.
But at the end of the day, Aquino would’ve appreciated if the organizers could’ve given the advise earlier on in their preparation, and not have to waste the time of players that were hoping to play for their country but have suddenly been disallowed.
“It’s just sad. They, Gabi Bade and Stefanie Berberabe, were practicing with me for almost two months already. So it’s just sad. I hope that sana next time [makalaro sila],” Aquino said.
“They should’ve told us earlier and it would be better preparation for us. So as of now, we get to do our thing and again, do our best.”
The Gilas Women will now be relying on other veterans such as Afril Bernardino, Janine Pontejos, Khate Castillo, Louna Ozar, Monique Del Carmen, and new additions such as Sophia Dignadice and Sarah Heyn.
The Philippines is aiming to reclaim the gold after last winning it in the 2022 edition in Vietnam which marked back-to-back golds for the Philippines.
However, they were dethroned by Indonesia in 2023.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.