June 5, 2016
Countdown to Manila OQT: 30 days
When Andray Blatche first suited up for the Philippines, it was in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain – a level of competition he previously hadn’t achieved.
But thanks to a long process and the trust given by a basketball-crazy nation, Blatche was able to check the World Cup off his bucket list as a basketball player.
Two years after, Blatche is once again presented with chance to add more to his basketball resume. And the naturalized Filipino center said on Sunday he feels “very motivated” to make it to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“Very motivated. I feel like that’s why we are putting the extra work, that’s why we are going to Greece, Italy, and scrimmages to prepare for the games coming up,” Blatche, who spent time watching the Filoil Flying V Hanes Preseason Premier Cup, said.
Like any other athlete who wishes to make it to the highest level of competition, Blatche said making the Olympics is something that drives him.
“Definitely. We had a chance last year. We have a second chance to make it to Rio. I feel like coach Tab (Baldwin) will rally every player, will get us going for the best possible chance to make it,” Blatche said.
Save for last year’s MVP Cup, a pocket tournament that prepared Gilas for the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship, the upcoming FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (July 5-10) will be Blatche’s first opportunity to play in front of a home crowd.
It excited him he admitted.
“I can’t wait. I am very excited. This is the first chance we have to play in front of their families, I can’t imagine how loud it is going to be. I have been to a game before, I know how crazy it gets. Hopefully guys don’t come out nervous and stay poised,” Blatche shared.
“It takes the pressure a bit off of us. We can go out there and play our game comfortably. We don’t have to be so stressed out there,” he said. “We are going to go out there with a lot of fight, a lot of heart. I really feel we have a good chance.”
Being at home this time and having more time to prepare himself for top-level action, Blatche believes the Philippines has a good chance to advance.
“Last year I was going through difficult times. I kind of put basketball on a hold because my mom was ill. This year, my mom is doing a lot better, and I have more time to focus on basketball,” Blatche said.
“We are home. We have everyone behind us and rooting for us. I feel like we have the ability to shock a lot of people. The pressure is not on us. The pressure is on them.”
