GILAS Pilipinas made late lineup adjustments, naming PBA talents Chris Ross, Kevin Alas, Arvin Tolentino, Marcio Lassiter, and World Cup holdover CJ Perez as replacements.
This was due to the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee’s (HAGOC) decision to refuse Gilas Pilipinas’ request to send some of their players.
The Asiad officials did not approve four players, including fan favorites Calvin Abueva and Terrence Romeo, big man Mo Tautuaa, and lefty forward Jason Perkins.
Abueva and Perkins were not mentioned in two of the pools provided to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).
The POC then requested that they be included in the final 12-man lineup, but the HAGOC denied it.
The names of Romeo and Tautuaa were not included in the second pool, which became the final basis for the Gilas’ “Final 12” for the Asian Games.
RR Pogoy is another player who has withdrawn from the national squad. Pogoy is being replaced by another sharpshooter, Marcio Lassiter, due to injury worries following the FIBA World Cup.
Gilas Pilipinas is presently awaiting the final decision after submitting another appeal to the HAGOC.
The five players who were called up, Ross, Alas, Perez, Tolentino, and Lassiter, were told to report to the Inspire Academy on Tuesday morning.
Will Gilas Pilipinas be able to gel with only one week until the Asian Games and new players joining the team?
