PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes doubled down on his criticism of what he feels are inappropriate playing conditions in the 5-on-5 basketball competitions of the Southeast Asian Games here.

The heat inside the Elephant Hall of the Morodok Techo Sports Complex and the linoleum-like flooring are Reyes’ top two concerns as the Philippines reached the semifinals after a 105-45 rout of Singapore on Saturday, May 13.

“Very bad,” said Reyes of the court setup. “I’ve been very vocal about it. This is really not the ideal playing conditions.”

Gilas Pilipinas needs to take extra measures to keep its players hydrated as they deal with uncomfortable heat due to the absence of air-conditioning at the Elephant Hall.

Reyes said the linoleum-like flooring also puts players in peril of getting injured, with Calvin Oftana being the first victim as he suffered a calf injury after slipping during the opening game against Malaysia.

“International competitions of this caliber should be played at air-conditioned gyms because we all know moisture and the perspiration of players, the heat, make the floor very, very slippery,” said Reyes.

“It makes it dangerous for the players. Take a look at how many injured players we have.”

Reyes added the fact that other teams are also affected does not make it any less of a problem.

‘We’re all playing under the same conditions but it does not take away the fact that it is not a safe court,” Reyes said. “There is no way we’re playing top caliber, top level international competitions on linoleum.”

Gilas Pilipinas, though, has no choice but to push through as it battles either defending champion Indonesia or Thailand in the semifinals on Monday, May 15, at the same venue. – Rappler.com