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Gilas pool shrinks as Fajardo out; Malonzo, Mikey beg off 

Published Apr 27, 2023 03:26 am
The same old problem continued to hamper Gilas Pilipinas' preparation for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games as its pool of players suddenly shrunk with roughly two weeks left before the regional meet in May. *From left to right: Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, June Mar Fajardo, Mikey Williams and Japeth Aguilar (FIBA Photo, PBA Images)*
Head coach Chot Reyes bared that the national team continues to deal with manpower woes with the pool members begging off or already out due to injuries. San Miguel Beer big man June Mar Fajardo has already been ruled out for the competition as he has yet to fully recover from a knee injury that sidelined him for a month now.  Fajardo said he’s been doing well with his rehab but he has yet to play a full five-on-five practice, prompting Gilas to rule him out for the country’s SEAG redemption tour and save him up for the 2023 World Cup in August. “Okay naman getting better na ako. Nagstart na ako ng therapy. Sa ngayon di pa ako nagcocourt eh siguro two weeks from now,” shared Fajardo. Fajardo was actually one of the two players who suited up in the last edition of the SEA Games and has been recalled for this year’s edition with the other being TNT gunner RR Pogoy. Unfortunately, Pogoy will not also be available for the SEA Games after sustaining an open fracture on his pinky finger during the 2023 PBA Governors’ Cup finals. Adding to Gilas woes is the absence of Jamie Malonzo and Mikey Williams who both begged off from national duty to attend to some personal matters after also seeing action in the grueling Finals series. Young Gilas big man AJ Edu is also unlikely to make his senior’s debut in the SEA Games due to his academic responsibilities in the US. It will be the first time that Malonzo won’t be in Gilas uniform after playing in the last three windows of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers while Williams missed on possibly his first stint with the national team. Also questionable for the biennial meet are Japeth Aguilar who has yet to fully recover from a knee injury while Scottie Thompson remains uncertain with his wife Jinkee expected to give birth to their first born in a few weeks time. “Just like last year we are practicing a certain number of guys and then just before we left (players suddenly couldn't make it). Hate to say it but here we go again,” Reyes told some members of the press during the national team’s closed-door training at the Meralco Gym. A total of 11 players attended Wednesday’s practice session led by San Miguel Beer’s CJ Perez and Chris Ross, Meralco’s Aaron Black and Chris Newsome, NLEX’s Sean Anthony and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Ginebra’s Christian Standhardinger and NorthPort’s Arvin Tolentino. Amateur standouts Michael and Ben Philips and Mason Amos were also present while naturalized player Justin Brownlee is expected to rejoin the team on Thursday, April 27.

Related Tags

Scottie Thompson June Mar Fajardo Gilas Pilipinas Men’s National Team Mikey Williams Jamie Malonzo gilas pilipinas
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