Boatwright becoming Filipino just needs PBBM’s signature
HONG KONG—Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Erika Dy provided some much-needed update on Bennie Boatwright’s naturalization process for Gilas Pilipinas, saying that it is now up to President Marcos if the National five will have a new big man.
“We’re pushing for Bennie. The situation right now is, he’s done with our legislative branch,” Dy told reporters here at Kai Tak Sports Hall at the end of the EASL Future Elite Championship. “(His naturalization) papers have reached Congress and the Senate.
“As you know, it needs … the signature of the President,” she went on. “If he doesn’t sign, we’ll have to wait for it to lapse into law and we still have the 15-day publication before we can get him his passport.”
There is some sense of urgency for the National team with the second window of the 2027 Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers of the Asian Games coming.
Justin Brownlee has done a magnificent job as Gilas’ naturalized player, but age and injuries have started catching up on the multi-titled Barangay Ginebra import in the PBA.
Dy believes that there’s still time to get Boatwright his naturalization and get him on the Gilas team in time for those two big events. The Philippines, mainly because of Brownlee’s heroics in China three years ago, will come into the Nagoya, Japan Asiad as the defending champion for the first time in 60 years.
“There’s still that possibility,” Dy said in Filipino when asked of Boatwright’s timeline. “We will wait and see.”
Meanwhile, the Nationals will be together for a longer period of time because of the two events, as training camp for the Fiba window will start after the PBA halts Governors’ Cup action on Aug. 15.
Team Philippines will battle Jordan on Aug, 28 and then regional power Iran two days later at the Mall of Asia Arena, and the Filipinos would need to win both games to avoid being pushed against the wall on the way to qualifying to the main draw.
After that, Gilas leaves for South Korea on Sept. 3 to go full speed in its Asiad prep, as the Filipinos battle the Korean national squad in two exhibition games before their title defense starts a week later.
Basketball in the Asiad will run until Sept. 20.
