Gilas Pilipinas is set to return to training after the release of clearance from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Headlining those who are called up for training are special Philippine Basketball Association Gilas draft picks Matt Nieto, Mike Nieto, Isaac Go, Rey Suerte, Jordan Heading, William Navarro, Tzaddy Rangel, and JD Tungcab.
College basketball stars Kenmark Carino, Javi Gomez de Liano, Dave Ildefonso, SJ Belangel, RJ Abarrientos, Carl Tamayo, Justine Baltazar, Jason Credo, Geo Chiu, Lebron Lopez, and naturalization candidate Ange Kouame have been summoned too.
Dwight Ramos, who is still in the United States, has been called up as well and will quickly enter the Gilas training bubble at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba once he arrives.
Also, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is working on bringing Kai Sotto in as he is set to join the Adelaide 36ers in the Australian NBL this season.
“The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas heeded the instructions of the Philippine Sports Commission when they asked all national athletes to halt their training during the enhanced community quarantine. When the IATF announced that they will be lifting those limitations, we immediately worked on getting the team back together,” SBP president Al Panlilio said on Sunday night. Calamba, like the rest of Laguna and the NCR Plus areas, is under the modified ECQ. Although sports training, in general, is not yet allowed, the IATF gave Gilas the green light to resume with two major events, the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers third window in Angeles and the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade, coming up this June.*PNA
