BY JONAS TERRADO
The official website of world governing body FIBA named Roger Pogoy as one of seven improved players based on his performance in Gilas Pilipinas’ Asia Cup Qualifiers match against Indonesia last February.
Pogoy made the list after posting 16 points and six rebounds in Gilas’ 100-70 romp of the Indonesians last Feb. 23 in the only game the Filipinos played in the first window of the continental qualifiers.
His numbers, FIBA said, was an improvement to his average of 7.0 points and 3.5 rebounds for Gilas in the 2017 Asia Cup held in Beirut, Lebanon where the Nationals placed seventh overall.
“As a solid defensive wing who can score in multiple ways, Pogoy has been valuable to Gilas. Alongside veteran teammates with bigger roles like Jayson Castro, Pogoy has done well in plugging as a role player,” FIBA said in an article posted Monday.
“Playing with a younger squad at the Qualifiers, the national team needed him to shoulder a bit more of the load and Pogoy responded with an efficient scoring game.”
The TNT KaTropa forward is joined by India’s Muin Bek Hafeez, Iraq’s Hassan Abdullah, Kazakhstan’s Maxim Marchuk, New Zealand’s Jordan Ngatai, Qatar’s Abdelrahman Yehia Abdelhaleem and Syria’s Abdulwahab Alhamwi.
Gilas played just one match during the first window after its scheduled home match against Thailand at the Smart Araneta Coliseum also in February was postponed due to the COVID-19 scare.
