The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas wanted the team to get more games and decided that Jordan will be a great destination.
GILAS Pilipinas is set to join the King Abdullah Cup in Jordan from July 25 to August 3 along with Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Tunisia, as part of its buildup for the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia next month.
The team will be flying to Jordan on Friday and will begin their campaign with a match against Egypt July 26, 11:00 a.m.; Saudi Arabia on July 27, 8:00 a.m.; Jordan-B on July 28, 11:00 a.m.; Tunisia on July 29, 2:00 p.m.; and Jordan-A on July 30, 2:00 p.m.
Currently, Gilas is in its training bubble in Calamba, Laguna after their losing stint in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade.
“The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas wanted the team to get more games so we looked for the best possible option and decided that Jordan will be a great destination,” said SBP special assistant to the president Ryan Gregorio.
The team currently has a 19-player roster with Thirdy Ravena, coming off a stint with the San-En NeoPhoenix in Japan’s professional league, as well as fellow returnees Allyn Bulanadi, Dave Ildefonso, Matt Nieto, and Rey Suerte, all coming back from injuries, as additional pickups for head coach Tab Baldwin.
Head coach Baldwin will then narrow down the lineup to 15 players who will play for the country in the King Abdullah Cup.
Gilas mainstays naturalized big Ange Kouame, Dwight Ramos, SJ Belangel, Justine Baltazar, William Navarro, RJ Abarrientos, Jordan Heading, Carl Tamayo, Mike Nieto, Geo Chiu, and team captain Isaac Go who wore the Philippines colors in the OQT will remain as the core of the group. Meanwhile, Jaydee Tungcab, Kemark Carino, and Tzaddy Rangel will also compete for a slot in the final roster.
Kai Sotto’s fate is still in discussions between the SBP and his handlers as the 7-foot-3 center prepares for his stint in Australia to join the Adelaide 36ers in the National Basketball League (NBL). (NP)
Tags: #basketball, #GilasPilipinas, #internationalcompetitions, #KingAbdullahCup, #SamahangBasketbolngPilipinas