MANILA, Pilipinas – Si RJ Abarrientos at Troy Rosario ng Barangay Ginebra, kasama si Zavier Lucero at Rhenz Abando mula sa Magnolia ay nakuha na para makilahok sa pangalawang pagkakataon ang Gilas Pilipinas sa FIBA Asia Cup saSaudi Arabia susunod buwan.
Head coach Tim Cone announced the team members participating in the regional competition on Monday following Gilas' initial training session, which took place under restricted conditions at Upper Deck Sports Center in Ortigas.
Gilas Pilipinas starts their practice again on Monday despite the hectic PBA playoff schedule.
Several athletes, including Abarrientos and Rosario, participated in the meeting, which primarily involved watching videos, along with optional personal training sessions that marked the beginning of Gilas' preparations for the Asia Cup starting on August 5.
Lucero is now in the United States taking some time off after Magnolia was eliminated from the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals, whereas Abando is with Strong Group Athletics as they prepare for the coming William Jones Cup in Taiwan.
However, Cone clarified that they are merely one among several players considered for the Asia Cup, at least for now.
Key players from Gilas such as Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar, and Jamie Malonzo of Ginebra, CJ Perez of San Miguel Beer, and Calvin Oftana of TNT attended even though they had demanding commitments with their respective teams during the Philippine Cup semifinals.
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Notable players from overseas leagues, Dwight Ramos and Carl Tamayo, chose to utilize the remaining training sessions to focus on improving their shooting skills, similar to Chris Newsome of Meralco.
June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel was not able to play because of his continuing calf problems during the semifinals.
The Gilas squad is waiting for the coming of Justin Brownlee and AJ Edu, who are set to arrive this week and will then join the national team's upcoming training activities.