June Mar Fajardo, Roger Pogoy and Troy Rosario will take a much-needed break before heading back to China to play for their respective PBA teams in the East Asia Super League Terrific 12 in Macau.
Fajardo’s San Miguel Beer, Pogoy and Rosario’s TNT KaTropa and Blackwater are slated to play in the annual tournament composed of some of East Asia’s best clubs in the five-day tournament slated Sept. 17 to 22.
The three players arrived in Manila Tuesday after playing for Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA World Cup which saw the national cagers place dead last in the 32-team field after losing all five matches by an average margin of 29.4 points.
TNT team manager Gabby Cui said Pogoy and Rosario will rejoin the KaTropa on Sept. 16 or the eve of the competition. TNT is in Group D along with China’s Liaoning Flying Leopards and Japan’s Niigata Albirex Basketball.
San Miguel, meanwhile, has yet to say how long will it allow Fajardo to recharge his batteries before resuming duties for his mother team.
The Beermen are in Group B with China’s Shenzhen Aviators and Japan’s Ryukyu Golden Kings.
The top team in each of the four groups advances to the semifinals.
SMB is reinforced by PBA Governors’ Cup import Denzel Wells and Lester Prosper while TNT has ex-NBA player KJ McDaniels and McKenzie Moore.
Blackwater, joined in Group A by Japan’s Chiba Jets and South Korea’s Seoul SK Knights, will be paraded by Aaron Fuller and Alex Stepheson. (Jonas Terrado)