Charles Tiu, head coach of Strong Group, the Philippine consultant to the thirty second Dubai International Basketball Tournament, admitted that the staff confronted huge challenges earlier than leaving the nation on Thursday morning.
Included in these challenges are their quick preparation time and the sudden substitute of massive man Ange Kouame because of dengue.
“It’s a very big challenge. We assumed that Ange Kouame would be there. That’s how we constructed our lineup, knowing we’d have a seven-footer in Ange, but obviously without him, it’s a big challenge for us,” Tiu mentioned in an interview with GMA Integrated News throughout their tuneup sport towards the Zamboanga Valientes.
De La Salle University’s Kevin Quiambao will fill within the huge sneakers left by Kouame, a multi-time UAAP champion and naturalized participant for the Gilas Pilipinas nationwide staff.
Despite the challenges, Tiu is optimistic that the staff will be capable to make it at the very least within the playoffs.
“Our goal is to try to compete for a championship. Hopefully, at least we can make the playoffs, but it’s very hard, we had short preparation. Our guys have been injured, we haven’t had one complete practice.”
Tiu mentioned the staff began coaching simply final January 11. Quiambao simply joined the staff in observe on Wednesday.
“We’ll see how it goes but kami, laban lang kami.”
Aside from Quiambao, Tiu’s staff might be composed of former NBA gamers Renaldo Balkman, Shabazz Muhammad, and Nick Young, and collegiate standouts comparable to NCAA MVP Will Gozum, Benilde teammate Migs Oczon, UAAP champions BJ Andrade, Jacob Lao, and Inand Fornillos, JD Cagulangan, Justine Baltazar, Jerom Lastimosa, and Lebron Lopez.
The Dubai Invitational will begin on Friday.
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
