Gilas Pilipinas
Gilas Pilipinas

No objections to Gilas player Douthit at Asian Games

Agence France-Presse

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No questions were asked. Marcus Douthit will suit up for Gilas Pilipinas at the Asian Games in the absence of Andray Blatche

DOUTHIT IS A GO. The Philippines met no objections with the inclusion of naturalized center Marcus Douthit into the Gilas Pilipinas line-up in place of Andray Blatche. File Photo by Nuki Sabio

INCHEON, South Korea – The Philippine men’s national basketball squad will depart Manila this weekend for the Asian Games with a full compliment of 12 players after a protest against US-born Marcus Douthit failed to materialize Friday, September 19.

It had been rumoured that the late inclusion of Douthit, a 6-foot-11 naturalized Filipino, would face opposition from other nations at a basketball managers’ technical meeting in Incheon.

Douthit was drafted in to replace NBA star Andray Blatche, another US-born naturalized player who was barred from the original squad from the basketball-mad nation because he did not meet a strict Asian Games 3-year residency rule.

That was despite Blatche leading Gilas Pilipinas, as the team is known, in the FIBA World Cup last month.

It had been rumoured that China, South Korea and Japan would object to Douthit on grounds that the rules state replacements to a line-up can only be made if there is an injured player before the tournament.

If any such protest had been upheld it would have meant that the Philippines would have had to use a depleted squad of just 11 in Incheon.

However at the meeting, attended by a Philippines delegation including chef de mission Richie Garcia and team manager Aboy Castro, no objections to the Philippines’ player roster were raised meaning all 12 players can board a flight from Manila on Saturday.

“No questions were asked. Only a minor confusion on the players’ jersey numbers had to be addressed,” a member of the Philippine delegation who attended the meeting said in a statement.

Philippines coach Chot Reyes tweeted from Manila: “Technical meeting finished. No issues.” He said no one had raised the elegibility of Douthit and so there would be a full 12-man roster.

Top Gilas patron Manny V. Pangilinan also took to Twitter to announce the news, also adding the country has a “better chance” at the Asiad.

The Philippines open their Asian Games campaign against Iran on September 25. – Rappler.com

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