BY JONAS TERRADO
LUCENA CITY – Eleven PBA players will join 13 amateur standouts in the Gilas Pilipinas pool for next month’s first window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
Leading the group of pros selected are NLEX’s Kiefer Ravena, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s Japeth Aguilar, TNT KaTropa’s Roger Pogoy, Troy Rosario and Ray Parks Jr., NorthPort’s Christian Standhardinger and Columbian’s CJ Perez.
Other PBA players in the pool are Phoenix Pulse’s Matthew Wright, NLEX’s Poy Erram, Blackwater’s Mac Belo and Magnolia’s Marc Pingris, who last represented the country in the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
They will join the Gilas Cadets group of Isaac Go, brothers Mike and Matt Nieto, Allyn Bulanadi and Rey Suerte, who were selected by five PBA teams in last month’s special draft.
Thirdy Ravena, Jaydee Tungcab, brothers Juan and Javi Gomez de Liano, Kobe Paras, Dave Ildefonso, Dwight Ramos and Justine Baltazar round out the pool.
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial told Manila-based scribes that the pool was discussed during Thursday’s monthly board meeting, though he mentioned that the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas has yet to name a coach who will call the shots for the qualifiers.
Gilas is aiming at a top-two finish in the three-window qualifiers in order to play in the Asia Cup.
The Philippines’ chances of making the continental competition are high after being drawn in Group A along with bitter rival South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
Gilas takes on Thailand on Feb. 20 and Indonesia on Feb. 23 for the first window.
The second window pits Gilas opposite South Korea on Nov. 27 and Thailand on Nov. 30.
The last window sees the Philippines facing Indonesia on Feb. 18, 2021 and South Korea three days later.
