NATURALIZED player Justin Brownlee will link up with the Gilas Pilipinas pool in Estonia from the US after missing the initial phase of the FIBA World Cup buildup in the country.
Mr. Brownlee powered the Philippines back to the Southeast Asian Games throne in Cambodia in May but an undisclosed ailment led to his absence in the World Cup pool’s training sessions that started early this month.
“Justin Brownlee had to undergo non-basketball medical procedure so he’ll just meet us in Estonia,” Mr. Reyes said in an update on Instagram.
Mr. Brownlee is among the naturalized players in the 20-man extended roster, along with Fil-Am NBA star Jordan Clarkson and Ange Kouame. Of the three, only Mr. Kouame has attended the early practices first held at the Meralco Gym before shifting to the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna last Saturday.
The pool wrapped up its four-day “bubble” camp at the Inspire facility yesterday.
The group, which is headed by PBA MVPs June Mar Fajardo and Scottie Thompson and Japan B. League stalwart Dwight Ramos, is scheduled to leave for Estonia tomorrow night for its 16-day European workouts and tuneup matches.
Gilas is lined up for duels with the national squads of Estonia, Latvia and Finland there as well as quality Lithuanian clubs in the second part of the trip in Lithuania.
After the Euro tour, Mr. Reyes’ crew is set to resume its training in Manila before heading to China for a pocket tournament with Iran, Lebanon and Senegal on Aug. 2 to 6. Mr. Clarkson and NBA aspirant Kai Sotto, two high-profile absentees in the pool’s buildup, are expected to be on board by this time.
Home side Gilas faces an acid test in its World Cup campaign beginning Aug, 25 with the Dominican Republic, Italy and Angola standing in their way in Group A. The objective is to qualify for the second round and possibly finish as the top Asian team and gain passage to the 2024 Paris Olympics. — Olmin Leyba