PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup Finals press conference. File photo: PBA Images.MANILA — Criticism piled up after Gilas Pilipinas suffered a woeful exit from the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at the hands of bitter rival China, while PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial was among those who were heartbroken.
“Masakit para sa akin to see that happen. Sobrang sakit at ganun din sa mga players,” said Marcial after Gilas’ 105-61 loss to the Chinese on Monday.
This was the Philippines’ worst-ever finish in the quadrennial meet, with the erstwhile defending champions settling for ninth place after failing to even keep their loss to China within 37 points, the margin they needed to avoid elimination.
However, Marcial defended the all-PBA Gilas Asiad squad, saying that all the odds were against them given the roster construction.
“Ano magagawa ng mga players natin? Ang tatangkad ng mga Chinese ngayon, mga shooters pa,” said Marcial of the Gilas team, which had no naturalized players despite the Asian Games allowing those with a passport from the country they intend to represent to compete.
Marcial, who was with the team in Japan, described their dugout as though someone had died as he rallied behind the Gilas men for their sacrifices for the country.
“There was no crying, pero lahat nakatungo. Halos ayaw ko rin silang tingnan, masakit eh,” he said. “Nakakaawa kasi sila but I salute them for the sacrifices they made and their willingness to serve the country. So nagpapasalamat pa rin ako sa kanila nang husto.”
With Justin Brownlee still sidelined and Bennie Boatwright yet to have his Philippine passport, Gilas had to compete with a squad led by PBA standouts Robert Bolick, Adrian Nocum, RJ Abarrientos, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, and Justine Baltazar, among others.
Gilas also had to play without its 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers core led by Kai Sotto, Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, and Dwight Ramos, with the overseas players’ contracts making it complicated for them to play outside FIBA-sanctioned tournaments.
In addition, naturalized players and former Asian Games Gilas members Jordan Clarkson and Ange Kouame could not be tapped due to their contract obligations with their professional clubs, while Malick Diouf was also unavailable to compete.
These factors left the Philippines absorbing a 44-point loss to China and an upset loss to Bahrain, which had four naturalized players, and Marcial himself rued how Gilas was unable to get at least one import to reinforce the team.
“Sana hindi ganito. Iba talaga kapag walang naturalized players,” he lamented.
Gilas men are set to return to the country this week, even before the Asian Games officially open on September 19.