Calvin Oftana cleared to join Gilas Men for Asia Cup

July 31 ------ Calvin Oftana is suiting up for Gilas Pilipinas Men in the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup 2025. The 6-foot-5 TNT forward flew out with the rest of the national team pool to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday evening, as confirmed by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, which posted a roll call of those making the trip.

Oftana missed Gilas’ send-off game against the Macau Black Bears on Monday due to an ankle sprain. However, he has since received medical clearance to join the squad. The 29-year-old native of Danao, Cebu, previously played in six games during the Asia Cup Qualifiers, where he averaged 4.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.

Headlining the PBA contingent in the Gilas lineup are Barangay Ginebra’s Justin Brownlee, Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, and Japeth Aguilar; Meralco’s Chris Newsome; and San Miguel’s June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez. Also making the trip are Dwight Ramos (Levanga Hokkaido), AJ Edu (Nagasaki Velca), Carl Tamayo (Changwon LG Sakers), and Kevin Quiambao (Goyang Sono Skygunners).

Ginebra’s RJ Abarrientos and Troy Rosario were the final cuts. Rosario expressed his gratitude through a social media post on Tuesday, saying he was thankful for being part of the pool.

Abarrientos, meanwhile, remained grateful for the opportunity. “Masaya at nagpapasalamat ako na naging parte ako ng team na ito. Siyempre, kailangan din ng dagdag na katawan sa ensayo at sa mga laro,” he said after the sendoff match at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

Gilas Pilipinas will open its FIBA Asia Cup campaign against Chinese-Taipei on August 6 at 2:00 a.m. (PH time), followed by New Zealand on August 7 at 11:00 p.m., and Iraq on August 9 at 4:00 p.m. in the group stage.

The top three teams in Group D will advance to the knockout phase, with the top seed earning an outright quarterfinals berth. The second and third-placed teams will face off against their counterparts from Group C — composed of China, Jordan, India, and host Saudi Arabia — in a crossover playoff.

Gilas will first face Jordan in a tune-up match in Jeddah on August 2.

Source: tiebreakertimes.com