Smart Gilas Pilipinas coach Rajko Toroman eying semi-finals in FIBA Asia C’ Ship
despite injuries
Many key players of Smart Gilas Pilipinas are fighting against time to nurse back to health with the 2011 FIBA Asia Champions just a day away. However, the struggle has not prevented their Serbian mentor Rajko Toroman from aiming
high in the upcoming Championship.
Smart Gilas’ head coach Toroman recently declared that his goal is to marshal his team into the semi-finals at least; despite of all the current injuries some major players.
“We’ll try to go to the semi-finals. That’s our goal, that’s a goal for me. We have some small problems, big problems. Jvee is still not 100 percent, Marcus did not practice, and Marcio has injury. But I’m very optimistic. Like
I’ve said, in the beginning we’ll not be on the highest level, but during the tournament we’ll be improving our shape. The most important thing is that the players understand the system, defensively and offensively." Rajko said.
The 2011 FIBA Asia Championship for Men will start on 15th September. Initially, Lebanon was the host country for the Championship; however the ball later dropped on the courts of China. The Champions of the tournament
will receive a direct qualification into the 2012 Olympics that will be held in London.
On the opening day of the tournament, Smart Gilas Pilipinas will face United Arab Emirates. Rajko Toroman has yet to decide the final 12 players who will lead Smart Gilas against United Arab and the decision is expected to be made
on the given day.
While discussing who will be the most difficult team to play against in the FIBA Asia Championship, the veteran coach Toroman pointed out two-time Champions Iran as the strongest team of the tournament.
“I think they are coming with the strongest team ever in the history of Iran because Arsalan Kazem is also with them." Toroman said.
Rajko further stated that having top quality players like Samad Nikkhah Bahrami, Hamed Afagh, Mehdi Kamrani and Hamed Haddadi who will now be supported by Kazem, it’s very tough to bring them down.
Giving due credit to Iran, Rajko Toroman is also hopeful that his team will make it into the semi-finals at least.
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