Brownlee good to go for Asia Cup

MANILA, Philippines — Officials expect Justin Brownlee to be good to go – eligibility-wise and health-wise – for the FIBA Asia Cup set Aug. 5 to 17 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Both Gilas Pilipinas team manager Alfrancis Chua and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Erika Dy are optimistic Brownlee won’t be serving suspension after getting an “adverse analytical finding” on his drug test in the third window of the Qualifiers last November.

“Walang suspension kay Brownlee. Justin is cleared. He’s going to play. Very cleared,” Chua said yesterday in the sidelines of the SBP National Congress.

“Just to clarify matters, there’s no suspension at this point in time and we don’t expect any,” said Dy. “There’s just a lot of delicate details we can’t discuss because doping is a very delicate, sensitive matter, very personal to the person. That’s why Brownlee and his lawyers are handling it and also his medical doctors.”

Gilas is scheduled to reassemble by July 27 or at the end of the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup. This would give Brownlee enough time to heal and get his right thumb back to playing form.

“Okay naman siya (after the operation). Ang sabi, mag-start siya shooting mga last week of June or July. Ang maganda lang doon, daliri ‘yun so pwede siyang tumakbo at magpa-kundisyon. ‘Yung shooting hand lang (needs full rest),” said Chua.

Brownlee dislocated his right thumb during the Commissioner’s Cup finals against TNT last March and played through it until the seventh game.

“Si Justin, fighter ‘yun. ‘Yun ngang putol, naglaro, ito pa kaya ngayon natahi na?” said Chua. “(We’re) very positive na makakalaro siya.”

According to Dy, the Tim Cone-coached Nationals will spend the early phase of buildup in the country with one exhibition game eyed before their departure for Jeddah on Aug. 1 or 2.

In Jeddah, the plan is to arrange a tuneup match against one of the teams that would also fly in early for the Continental meet.