ANTIPOLO – Calvin Oftana won’t be joining Gilas Pilipinas for the coming fifth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers.
National coach Tim Cone disclosed the TNT forward has begged off from going with the squad in Seremban, Malaysia due to a family matter.
“His wife is delivering at the end of the month by that time. He begged off that he couldn’t make it,” said Cone shortly after Barangay Ginebra punched the fourth and final ticket to the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals following a 110-94 win over San Miguel in their sudden-death match.
“But he’s part of the original group to go (in Malaysia).
Oftana just rejoined Gilas Pilipinas during the last 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, where he emerged as top scorer of the team, including exploding for 31 points in a losing effort against Bahrain.
The 30-year-old Oftana along with another forward in Carl Tamayo are the two players Gilas will miss out in the Nov. 27 to 29 window.
Tamayo is nursing a sprained ankle, which Cone said was worse compared to the one which he suffered during the fourth window last August at the Mall of Asian Arena.
“His sprain this time is worse than it was when he got sprain in the (fourth) window. And he was out four to five weeks,” said the Gilas coach. “It took him a long time, and that was four or five weeks before he started his rehab.
“So it’s worse this time and the same ankle.”
The bulk of Gilas Pilipinas will leave for Malaysia on Nov. 21, six days before it battles Syria on the 27th and Iran on the 29th.
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