By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
FIBA recently announced and listed Mark Dickel, Sandy Arespacochaga, and Nenad Trunic as part of the Gilas Pilipinas 2021 Asia Cup Qualifiers coaching staff.
With Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas’ (SBP) appointment of coach Tab Baldwin as Gilas program head director, there was no surprise when Baldwin opted to choose guys he had previously worked with.
Dickel, who currently holds duty as TNT Katropa’s head coach, played under Baldwin for New Zealand during the early 2000s.
Arespacochaga, the Batang Gilas main orchestrator, is Baldwin’s assistant coach in his mighty Ateneo Blue Eagles squad.
Meanwhile, Trunic is a veteran European coach who recently became an important piece to Iran’s basketball youth program and a former member of the Yugoslavia youth team together with NBA’s Tony Kukoc and Vlade Divac.
Dickel, Arespacochaga, and Turic will be standing side-by-side with coach Baldwin soon as the Gilas intensive training program will start.
