ANGE Kouame will be included in the Gilas Pilipinas pool for the coming November window of the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Erika Dy confirmed Kouame will take part in the Gilas camp at Inspire Sports Academy starting on November 15 ahead of matches against New Zealand on November 21 and Hong Kong on November 24.
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With Kouame joining the camp, he could be in line for a roster spot as a naturalized player in at least one of the games of Gilas in the coming window to be played at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Justin Brownlee, part of the original pool of players under Gilas coach Tim Cone, is still expected to play in the Fiba window despite coming off a tiring PBA Governors’ Cup Finals with Barangay Ginebra where his health came under question.
The presence of Kouame gives Cone the option to rest Brownlee in one of the two qualifiers.
Under Fiba rules, Gilas Pilipinas will have to choose between Brownlee and Kouame on which naturalized player to play for each of the two games in the current window.
Dy said having multiple naturalized players in the initial pool submitted to Fiba is allowed, until the eve of the game where a technical meeting is held to finalize the roster.
“The night before [a game], may technical meeting. Dapat isa na lang ang naturalized [player mo],” said Dy.
Kouame is currently playing for Meralco in the East Asia Super League, and will see action on Wednesday when the Bolts face Busan KCC Egis.
There are currently 12 active players in the pool in Brownlee, June Mar Fajardo, Chris Newsome, Scottie Thompson, Kai Sotto, Jamie Malonzo, CJ Perez, Calvin Oftana, Dwight Ramos, Kevin Quiambao, AJ Edu, and Carl Tamayo.
Japeth Aguilar and Mason Amos, on the other hand, are serving as reserves.
Malonzo, however, is not expected to play in the Fiba window due to a calf injury he sustained in the PBA that caused him to miss the entire Governors’ Cup. The Ginebra high-flyer is still expected to be present in camp.
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