Japeth Aguilar, June Mar Fajardo, Troy Rosario lead Gilas Pilipinas’ 16-man pool for SEA Games
Bigs June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar and Troy Rosario were named by Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes to the national team’s 16-man training pool for the upcoming Southeast Asian Games which is scheduled to take place in Hanoi, Vietnam on May 12 to 23.
The trio will be joined by fellow PBA players Matthew Wright, Kevin Alas, Robert Bolick, Kib Montalbo, Roger Pogoy, Poy Erram, Mo Tautuaa, and Isaac Go.
Japan B.League imports Dwight Ramos and Thirdy Ravena were also called on for another tour of duty.
Cadets Will Navarro, LeBron Lopez, and Caelum Harris will complete the cast which was assembled by Reyes and his Gilas deputies in consultation with the PBA Board.
The lineup will be submitted to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and will be forwarded to the Vietnam SEA Games Organizing Committee which has set a March 12 deadline for the submission of all entries.
“This is the lineup that will give us the best chance of winning the gold in the SEA Games,” said Reyes shortly after TNT overcame NorthPort at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday evening. “We plan to bring all 16 to Vietnam if it is possible.”
“We are very, very happy, we are very fortunate, we are very thankful to commissioner Willie and the PBA Board for making available the following players,” he added.
The Tropang Giga mentor, however, refused to divulge who among the pool members will comprise the final 12.
“For now, we can’t name a Final 12 roster but that is the pool. We had long meetings with the coaching staff and we felt that this is the line-up that will give us the best chance of winning the gold in the SEA Games.”