GILAS Pilipinas is set to resume its training at Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna on Monday.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) program director Tab Baldwin confirmed to Spin.ph that the youth-laden squad will once again go back inside the bubble as it prepares for the series of tournaments later this year.
"We will begin with the health protocols tomorrow," the American-Kiwi mentor said in a short text message.
The SBP brought in a young pool without any PBA players last March, but had to break camp after just over two weeks due to the government-imposed Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) after a surge of new COVID-19 cases in the country.
Naturalized player candidate Ange Kouame leads the cast alongside Gilas draftees Isaac Go, Rey Suerte, twins Matt and Mike Nieto, Jordan Heading, William Navarro, Tzaddy Rangel, and Jaydee Tungcab.
Also part of the pool are cadets Dwight Ramos, Justine Baltazar, Javi Gomez de Liano, Dave Ildefonso, and Kemark Carino, University of the Philippines forward Carl Tamayo, Far Eastern University standout RJ Abarrientos, and Ateneo players Lebron Lopez, SJ Belangel, Gian Mamuyac, Josh Lazaro, Chris Koon, Geo Chiu, Jason Credo, Troy Mallillin, and Kyle Ong.
Kai Sotto, who recently signed a multi-year deal with the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL), is also set to come in a still to be determined date.
Gilas Pilipinas is preparing for a grueling schedule starting in June for the third window of the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers in Clark, needing only one win in games against Korea (twice) and Indonesia to clinch a spot in the tournament proper.
That will be followed in July by the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade and the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup in Indonesia in June.
Also set to come at Inspire Sports Academy is the Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 team.
The federation announced last week that the team, made up of CJ Perez, Mo Tautuaa, Joshua Munzon, and Alvin Pasaol, as well as pool members Karl Dehesa and Santi Santillan, will begin preparations in Calamba for the Fiba 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament set in Graz, Austria from May 25 to 30.
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