Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tiebreaker Times

2020 Tokyo Olympics

Angelo Kouame cleared by FIBA to join Gilas in Clark


The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has cleared Angelo Kouame to join Gilas Pilipinas in the Clark window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. 

The naturalized Filipino’s FIBA registration has received approval after he acquired his Philippine passport last week.

Naturalizing Kouame is a unique step that the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) decided to take because of his youth.

After Marcus Douthit and former NBA player Andray Blatche in the last few years, the SBP decided to go with a player who has the potential to play well but does not have their level of experience yet.

“This decision is consistent with the whole program because it’s a vision to the future,” said Gilas Pilipinas Men Program Director Tab Baldwin.

“We’ll try to accomplish short-term goals while we’re really focusing on our long-term objective of forming a Gilas team that can genuinely compete with top 10 teams in the world come 2023.”

Kouame’s naturalization process started early in 2020. It became official last May 18 after President Rodrigo Duterte signed it into law.

The 6-foot-11 big man has been training with Gilas since the Manama window of the Qualifiers.

“This is a kid that has tremendous potential and he was desperate to become a Filipino. He loves the country and we thought that for a variety of factors, it was a good decision.”

Kouame will go up against the likes of Indonesia’s Lester Prosper and South Korea’s Ra Gun-A in Clark. He will then face NBA-level players in the Belgrade Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

And for Baldwin, he knows that his ward will be up to the challenge.

#ReadMore  Kouame can't wait to don Gilas' colors: 'I really want to be a part of it'

“We are advancing too quickly with him. We’re putting him into the firing line early. But the other side of that is it’s going to pay dividends later on, and he’s going to learn a lot from these experiences,” Baldwin said.

“I’ve always said it’s easier to learn from failure than it is to learn from success. and I expect he’s going to have considerable failures over the next couple of years. But all of that is going to be a part of his education to become an elite Gilas player for many years to come.”

SBP President Al Panlilio, meanwhile, expressed that he felt elated with the development. The federation also remains thankful to everyone who worked hard to make it possible.

“We thank our allies from the Bureau of Immigration; Department of Foreign Affairs; House of Representatives; Senate; and Office of the President as it was their swift action that led to this important step in our program,” said Panlilio.

“As we’ve always said, the earlier we see Ange wearing a Gilas jersey for an official FIBA game, the better it would be for our program in the long run. We’re thrilled that he’ll get the chance to play in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers here at home, and we cannot wait to see him and the rest of the team in action.”

Written By


You May Also Like

3x3 Basketball

After years of striving to make their mark, the Gilas Pilipinas Women’s 3×3 team has found a partner in Strong Group Athletics, which has...

Basketball

Tim Cone is the most decorated head coach in Philippine Basketball Association history, boasting 25 championships in his illustrious career. But the 67-year-old would...

Basketball

Tim Cone has come under fire from fans following Gilas Pilipinas Men’s disappointing performances in both the 2nd Doha International Cup and the final...

Basketball

Calvin Oftana has yet to get a good night’s sleep since Gilas returned from a grueling journey abroad as part of its FIBA Asia...

Basketball

With Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign in the third window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers concluding in a 70-87 thrashing at the hands of New...

Basketball

No matter where they play in the world, Gilas Pilipinas always draws the unwavering support of thousands of Filipino fans, filling arenas with their...

Basketball

Gilas Pilipinas Men’s worst stretch under head coach Tim Cone continued on Sunday as the Philippines suffered a lopsided 87-70 defeat against New Zealand...

Basketball

Sticking with the same 12-man roster, Gilas Pilipinas is preparing to wrap up the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers with an all-important clash against New...

Advertisement