The veteran forward was called up to join the national team pool for its trip to Doha, Qatar in preparation for the third and last window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers in February.
Troy Rosario gets Gilas call-up, set to join Doha camp
Jan 15, 2025 07:57 AM
At a glance
Nearly four years removed since he last donned a Gilas Pilipinas jersey, Troy Rosario could find himself wearing the national tri-colors anew.
That, after the veteran forward was called up to join the national team pool for its trip to Doha, Qatar in preparation for the third and last window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers in February.
Gilas head coach Tim Cone confirmed the development in a text message to Manila Bulletin, revealing that Rosario will be part of the 13-man pool that will fly to Qatar.
Japeth Aguilar is still part of the pool though he will not join the team in its Doha camp but is expected to rejoin them in two road games against Chinese Taipei and New Zealand.
“Yes, Troy will join us for the Doha trip,” said Cone in a text message. “Right now, he will be part of our 13 in Doha. Japeth will not go to Doha, but will go to Taiwan and NZ.”
Rosario's addition to the pool should be a big boost, particularly at the front line, for the injury-stricken Gilas which is expected to miss the services of Kai Sotto due to an ACL injury.
Another young Gilas player also went down with an injury with Kevin Quiambao hurting his ankle in his debut in the Korean Basketball League.
It's still unclear however the extent of Quiambao's injury and whether it would affect his availability for Gilas in the February window.
Nonetheless, Rosario's return not only gave Gilas a veteran presence but also some versatility at the forward spot positions.
For one, Rosario seemed to have found a second wind to his career since signing with Ginebra.
The 32-year-old, who last played for Gilas in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam in 2021, is starting to flourish in his first conference under Cone's patented triangle system, evident with his 22 points and 10 rebounds performance in Ginebra's win over San Miguel and a 17-point and seven-rebound followup against Blackwater.
Rosario is expected to still fight for his spot in the lineup with other reserves Aguilar and Mason Amos and as well as players returning from injuries in Jamie Malonzo and AJ Edu.