THE Magnolia duo of Ian Sangalang and Jio Jalalon have been added to the Gilas Pilipinas training pool.
Sangalang and Jalalon got an invitation from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) to be part of the Gilas pool for the August qualifiers following the Hotshots' failure to advance to the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.
[See Will Chot coach Gilas now that TNT is in PBA Finals?]
The two Magnolia players however, weren't around for the first day of the national team's practice on Monday for the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers where Gilas will play Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.
Both Jalalon and Sangalang were given a call to join Gilas Pilipinas after the Hotshots fell short of advancing in the final of the season-opening tournament.
Gilas mainstays Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, Dwight Ramos, Bobby Ray Parks, Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, and Francis Lopez, were joined in the first practice by Calvin Oftana, Jamie Malonzo, and Kevin Alas.
Running practice were Tim Cone, Chot Reyes and his son Josh.
A concern too, is the injury suffered by Sangalang in Game 6 of Magnolia's PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series against TNT following the apparent unintentional elbow hit he got from Poy Erram early in the fourth quarter of the game.
Erram was whistled for a flagrant foul technical 2 infraction, resulting in his ejection while leaving the 6-foot-7 Sangalang with a nine-stitch cut on his bloodied forehead, although he managed to finish the ballgame for the Hotshots.
But the SBP through Gilas Pilipinas team manager Butch Antonio said Jalalon and Sangalang will start training for the national squad on Tuesday.
Gilas has began its daily training in preparation for the World Cup window that will see the Filipinos taking FIBA Asia Cup runner-up Lebanon in Beirut, and then testing the mettle of Saudi Arabia when it hosts the Middle East country on the 29th at the Mall of Asia Arena.