Gilas Pilipinas practice called off after only 6 pool members confirm attendance

Gilas Pilipinas’ Monday night practice was called off after only 7 players confirmed their attendance in the once-a-week session.

National team head coach Chot Reyes bared that the coaching staff was forced to cancel as majority of the 28-man pool failed to confirm.

NLEX veteran forward Sean Anthony isn’t member of the pool but is part of the group that should already be deep in preparation for the upcoming Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia.

The poor attendance was a far cry from the 17 that attended the squad’s practice last April 3. Players from Brgy. Ginebra and TNT even showed up despite participating in the PBA Season 47 Governors’ Cup Finals press conference held just hours before.

Members of the 28-man pool are PBA players Justin Brownlee, Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar, Jamie Malonzo, Christian Standhardinger, Stanley Pringle Jr, and Jeremiah Gray of Bry. Ginebra, San Miguel’s June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Marcio Lassiter, and Chris Ross, TNT’s Roger Pogoy, Calvin Oftana, John Paul Erram, and Mikey Williams, Meralco’s Chris Newsome, Raymond Almazan, and Aaron Black, NLEX’s Kevin Alas and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, and NorthPort’s Arvin Tolentino.

Completing the cast are collegiate standouts Mason Amos, Kevin Quiambao, Jerom Lastimosa, Deschon Winston, Benjamin Phillips III and Michael Phillips, and Ariel John Edu.

The unfortunate development came with less than a month before the biennial meet kicks off on May 5 in the capital city of Phnom Penh.

It remains to be seen if the coaching staff will attempt to make up for lost time or simply move on and resume with practice next Monday.

“Depends on availabilities,” said Reyes.

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