FIRST DAY of basketball contests in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, GILAS Pilipinas faces Malaysia in the opening match of its effort to win gold back at the Southeast Asian Games.

In the men’s 5-on-5 tournament’s opening match on May 9, the Filipinos face battle against the Malaysians.

Singapore and Cambodia are grouped in Group A alongside the Philippines along with Malaysia.

In contrast, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and the defending champion Indonesia are in first place in Group B.

After a day off, Gilas picks up again against the host nation on the 11th, and then on the 13th, Singapore is the opponent to end the group stage.

The top two teams from each group move on to the crossover semifinals, which are played on the 15th, with the victors vying for gold the following day.

In contrast to the 2022 SEA Games in Hanoi, where the top two teams after a single round of elimination competed for gold, this year’s event had a different format.

It was the Philippines’ second cage gold loss since it began competing in the biannual showcase in 1977 when Gilas dropped the title to Indonesia by a score of 85 to 81. (RG)

Gilas Pilipinas’ SEA Games mission is abandoned by Jamie Malonzo and Mikey Williams

When trying to recapture the basketball gold from the Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, this May, Gilas Pilipinas will be without the help of TNT star Mikey Williams and young Barangay Ginebra star Jamie Malonzo.

Jamie has pleaded for me to go. Chot Reyes, the national coach, told the Inquirer on Tuesday that he had to attend to some personal affairs back in the United States.

He continued, “He needed to be there. We also wanted Mikey, but I think he’s already left the Philippines because his father is getting married.

Malonzo and Williams are a part of the 28-man group that will be used to create the Gilas 12, which will be entrusted with reestablishing the Philippines as a major player in the area.

The two had just finished playing in the Governors’ Cup final games of the Philippine Basketball Association, which the Tropang Giga ultimately won in six games.

Prior to the development, Malonzo was expected to be selected for the SEA Games squad after participating in previous Fiba windows.

Williams, on the other hand, is the frontrunner to make the final squad because he could bolster the roster easily, as the regional meet only needs a player to represent their country to have a Philippine passport.

Roger Pogoy, a teammate of Williams’ who suffered a finger injury during the PBA’s third conference finalé, is also ineligible for the competition.

This Wednesday, Gilas is anticipated to reopen its training camp.