Troy Rosario back in Gilas Pilipinas pool

TROY ROSARIO’S dream season just keeps getting better, as he returns to the Gilas Pilipinas pool to compete for a berth in the Final 12 of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers in February. 

Months after earning a contract and formally playing for his family’s favorite PBA team, Barangay Ginebra, Rosario is called up to the national team, returning him to a familiar location.

Help from a familiar face

The 6-foot-7 forward is expected to bolster Gilas’ frontcourt following injuries to starter center Kai Sotto in the Japan B.League and Kevin Quiambao in the Korean Basketball League. 

Gilas Pilipinas’ 7-foot-3 center Sotto suffered an ACL tear that is anticipated to keep him out for six months, making it impossible to join Gilas in the 2025 Asia Cup, which will be hosted by Saudi Arabia from August 5-17. 

According to Spin.ph, Quiambao will most likely be out for at least four weeks after suffering an ankle ligament injury early in his KBL debut against the Goyang Sono Skygunners last Sunday.

Welcome back to Gilas

Given that both Sotto and Quiambao are unlikely to join the team for Gilas head coach Tim Cone’s planned training camp in Doha, Qatar, adding Rosario, who is familiar with his system, is a likely option. 

“Yes, he will join us in our Doha trip. Troy will compete for a spot in the [Final] 12,” Gilas Pilipinas head coach Cone told a media, confirming the inclusion of Rosario in the national team pool.

The 32-year-old’s call-up to the Gilas will be his first since being a member of the Southeast Asian Games team that disappointingly lost to Raj Toroman’s Indonesia in Vietnam in 2021.

Rosario also played on the three gold medal-winning Gilas teams at the SEA Games from 2015 to 2019, as well as the Philippines’ World Cup team commanded by Yeng Guiao in 2019.

Next man up

Rosario just had one of his best games so far while wearing a Ginebra jersey, proving to be the “X-factor” in their 93-81 victory over San Miguel, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. 

With this outstanding performance, Rosario is poised to demonstrate why he deserves to return to Gilas’ main team, aided by his knowledge with Cone’s system and international competition experience. 

The returning Jamie Malonzo and AJ Edu, as well as veteran big man Japeth Aguilar and 6-foot-7 Mason Amos of the DLSU Green Archers, are also anticipated to compete for a spot on Gilas’ roster in the next games.

Gilas Pilipinas are headed to the final window of Asia Cup Qualifiers, facing a revamped Chinese Taipei first on February 20 and then New Zealand in a much-anticipated rematch on February 23.