THE pair of big men June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar makes a Gilas Pilipinas reunion after both were named as part of the 16-man roster for the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi.
Fajardo of San Miguel and Aguilar of Barangay Ginebra are two of the PBA bigs included by national coach Chot Reyes in the team along with TNT's Troy Rosario and Poy Erram, young Terrafirma center Isaac Go, and San Miguel's Mo Tautuaa, who will serve as Gilas' naturalized player for the May 12 to 23 meet.
Also returning for another tour of duty with the men's team after similar previous stint in the SEA Games are Matthew Wright of Phoenix and NLEX's Kevin Alas.
Fajardo, Aguilar, and Wright were all part of the Gilas team that won the basketball gold during the 2019 staging of the tournament here, while Alas played for the gold medal winning Philippine team in the 2013 edition in Myanmar.
Others comprising the lineup are TNT's Roger Pogoy and Kib Montalbo, Robert Bolick of NorthPort and cadets Thirdy Ravena, Dwight Ramos, Lebron Lopez, Caelum Harris, and Will Navarro.
Sponsored content: Reyes made the announcement shortly after the Tropang Giga's 106-101 overtime victory against NorthPort Batang Pier in the final game of the Governors' Cup eliminations at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The lineup will be submitted to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), and to be forwarded to the Vietnam SEA Games Organizing Committee which set a March 12 deadline for the submission of all entry by names.
"This is the lineup that will give us the best chance of winning the gold in the SEA Games," said Reyes, stressing he had consultations with his deputy coaches about the composition of the roster. "We plan to bring all 16 to Vietnam if it is possible."
Reyes thanked the entire PBA family for lending its players again to the Gilas pool and allowed it to put a still competitive lineup.
"We are very, very happy, we are very fortunate, we are very thankful to commissioner Willie and the PBA Board for making available the following players," said Reyes, who sat beside commissioner Willie Marcial during the announcement of the SEA Games roster.
Sponsored content: "The key now is how quickly we can come together for practice," said the Gilas coach, who plans to bring the team together once the PBA season ends.
"For now we want to make sure that players are rested. So at the end of the PBA (season) that's when we're hoping we can practice as a team," added Reyes.(RG)
