GILAS IS IN FOR LONG HAUL

That's the mentality Gilas Pilipinas is embracing as it picks itself up from the disappointing conclusion of its Paris Olympics bid and steers into the long road to the 2028 Games.

- OLMIN LEYBA

On to the next.

"We really felt that we had a chance to win the tournament (Olympic Qualifiers in Latvia) so losing to (semifinal rival) Brazil at the end was very disappointing for all of us; shattered all of our dreams and that's always tough," Cone said on The Big Story on One PH.

"But as I told the players, the ending of this particular tournament was bad but it's not really the end. It's a really good beginning for us as we continue this quest over the next four years," he added.

Under Cone's program, the 12-strong Gilas led by naturalized player Justin Brownlee, June Mar Fajardo, Kai Sotto and Dwight Ramos are in for the long haul.