LIKE former Gilas Pilipinas naturalized players Marcus Douthit and Andray Blatche and current players Ange Kouame and Justin Brownlee, former San Miguel Beer import Bennie Boatwright is looking forward to his stint with the Nationals.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas President Al Panlilio gushed on Boatwright’s attitude after his first meeting with the naturalized cager candidate at the Fairways Grill, Manila Golf and Country Club in Makati.
“It was a very pleasant lunch, kuwentuhan, me just finding out who he is, how he is. It was very relaxing, he even tried halu-halo,” Panlilio said. “Bennie is very mild-mannered, maamo iyong character niya, very respectable.
“I told him that he’s a bigger, younger version of Brownlee. He’s very excited to be chosen, to be part of the Gilas journey,” he added.
Gilas coach Tim Cone, team manager Richard del Rosario and SBP executive director Erika Dy also joined the lunch with Boatwright, who is being eyed for a future tour of duty with the Philippine five.
Panlilio said the chances of the 6-foot-10, 235-lb former USC Trojan to see action in the 2028 Olympics Los Angeles got Boatwright’s fancy.
“It’s a dream for him. He has lived in LA for most of his life, Bennie told us, and his family is still there,” Panlilio said. “He has played in Mexico and he just came back from China.
He’s going back to LA to be with his family whom he hasn’t seen in eight months.”
The Filipino cagers are bracketed with host and world No. 8 Latvia and No. 23 Georgia in Group A in the Olympic qualifying tournament in July.
Gilas, ranked No. 37, must wind up in the top two of its group to advance to the crossover semifinals against the top two of Group B, which includes No. 12 Brazil, No. 17 Montenegro, and No. 67 Cameroon.
The winners of the crossover semis will clash for the lone slot in the Olympics.
Aside from the OQT, Gilas will resume its bid in the second window set for Nov. 21 and 24 after it completed a 2-0 sweep of the first round of the Asia Cup qualifiers last February.
Cone, appointed by the SBP as Gilas permanent tactician only last January, has formed a 12-man national team training pool for the next four years with three lofty goals in sight–qualify for the Paris Olympics and 2027 World Cup in Qatar and the ultimate target–the LA Games four years from now.
Spearheading Cone’s squad is Brownlee, along with reigning seven-time MVP June Mar Fajardo and former winner Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, CJ Perez, Dwight Ramos, Edu, Carl Tamayo, Kai Sotto, Kevin Quiambao, and alternates Japeth Aguilar and Mason Amos.
