Painters guard Mercado joins Gilas in Asian Games

With little time left before the Filipinos' campaign in the Guangzhou Asian Games, the RP-Smart Gilas national developmental team picked Sol Mercado as its third Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) player to bolster the squad in the quadrennial meet's basketball competition.

 Rain or Shine's spitfire guard is the squad's latest reinforcement after former PBA Most Valuable Players (MVPs) Asi Taulava and Kelly Williams. PBA commissioner Chito Salud confirmed the news to GMANews.TV in a telephone interview.

 "Sol Mercado has agreed to play for Smart Gilas. He was given the go-signal by his mother team, Rain or Shine, and the PBA Board of Governors. He will be the third player to be loaned by the league to Smart Gilas," said Salud. 

 The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) had requested the PBA to loan the services of three players – Taulava, Williams and originally James Yap – to reinforce the RP-Smart Gilas' campaign in the Asian Games. 

 Two-time MVP Yap begged off due to professional and personal reasons, paving the way for the inclusion of Mercado, a young, combo guard/slasher. 

 "We are proud to lend Sol Mercado to the national team and let him play for flag and country. I hope he will be a valuable piece in our quest for glory," said Elasto Painters co-owner Raymond Yu in a text message.

 Mercado was not included in the 12-man roster submitted by the SBP to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) Wednesday, which means he'll replace one of the players in the 'Final 12'. 

 But RP-Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman said Mercado will be given a spot in the roster.

"We will find a place for him," said Toroman in a telephone interview. "We still don't know whom he will replace in the squad, but at least we won't be dependent anymore on Marcio Lassiter." 



Lassiter, a combo guard like Mercado, is still in the United States and his condition remains uncertain after suffering a hip injury that affected his knee. 

 "Sol Mercado was in my mind two or three months ago. He will be our third point guard. He suffered a stress fracture on his foot the last time, but now that he's healthy, we included him in our roster," said Toroman, who is best remembered for steering Iran to its first FIBA Asia Championship crown in 2007, thus rewarding the country a slot in the 2008 Olympic basketball event. 

 Asian Games committee to decide on Mercado’s entry But whether Mercado can play or not in the Asian Games remains up in the air as the deadline for submission of accreditation has already elapsed. The SBP will need to make a request to the Asian Games organizing committee to issue accreditation to Mercado and other players RP-Smart Gilas wishes to include at the last minute. Joey Romasanta, chef de mission of the RP team to the Asian Games, said the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) met with the different NSAs (national sports associations) regarding the accreditation to the Guangzhuo meet as early as February of this year. “As early as February, NSAs were advised by the POC to make an estimate on athletes and other delegates, which will be sent to the Asian Games. Last June 30, an entry by number was requested so they could name athletes on the roster. Then the POC set a deadline of Wednesday, September 22, for names in final lineup," said Romasanta. “The SBP’s office inside the Philsports Arena is located at the ground floor and near our office, yet they submitted names at the last minute. Now, they want to include someone who’s not in the final lineup with the deadline already elapsed. But the entries were already submitted to the organizing committee because they need to be there in Guangzhou before September 30," added Romasanta. Moying Martelino of the POC’s working committee said Mercado’s inclusion in the final lineup is beyond their group’s control. “It’s really up to the organizing committee in Guangzhou if they will allow Mercado or not. They sent the lineup at the last minute and now they’re even making things difficult for us," said Martelino. High hopes on Douthit’s naturalization As for Marcus Douthit, the team's import who is a candidate for naturalization, Toroman has high hopes the 6-foot-10 American will be granted Filipino citizenship and become a last-minute addition to the squad in the quadrennial meet. 

 "He has passed the first hearing and that's very important. If he will be granted citizenship before the October 13 deadline by the organizers in the Asian Games, then we can include him at the last minute," added Toroman. – KY/JVP, GMANews.TV