Gilas begins training camp for World Cup

(UPDATE) GILAS Pilipinas naturalized players led by Utah Jazz star Jordan Clarkson, Justin Brownlee and big man Ange Kouame headline the 21-man national pool that is set to prepare for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup set to start on August 25.

Jordan Clarkson FIBA PHOTO

The other members of the pool include 7-foot-3 young big man Kai Sotto, Dwight Ramos, June Mar Fajardo, Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, Chris Newsome, Jordan Heading, Kiefer Ravena, CJ Perez, Roger Pogoy, Thirdy Ravena, Carl Tamayo, Japeth Aguilar, Poy Erram, Bobby Ray Parks Jr. and Calvin Oftana.

Also named to the pool are former NCAA men's basketball champion and league Most Valuable Player Rhenz Abando and AJ Edu.

Gilas is slated to start its FIBA World Cup training on Wednesday at the Meralco Gym, and is expected to leave late this June for its Europe training camp that will include tune-up matches versus Estonia, Finland, Latvia and possibly, the under-21 national team of Lithuania, according to coach Chot Reyes.

Fajardo, Pogoy and Aguilar are recovering from separate injuries sustained from the recent PBA Governors' Cup won by TNT.

On the other hand, Abando is coming off a highly successful stint with the Anyang KGC, which reigned supreme in the Korean Basketball League. The high-leaping Abando, who last saw action for Gilas in the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup, also won the KBL Slam Dunk crown early this year.

And while Gilas currently has three naturalized players in the pool, only one will be selected in the final lineup.

It remains to be seen how Sotto could join and train with Gilas concerning his current mini-camp participation in some NBA teams as he tries to land a spot in the Summer League.

Sotto has spent the past three months playing for the Hiroshima Dragonflies in the Japan B.League.