July 14 ------ GILAS Pilipinas gained a much-needed boost when three members of the national pool attended the resumption of practice at the Meralco Gym. Ray Parks, Roger Pogoy, and Calvin Oftana were among 16 players who showed up as Gilas gathered for the first time since coming back from its European training camp. Parks, Oftana, and Pogoy were the latest members of the Gilas training pool to show up at the Meralco gym despite the heavy downpour.
The three were unable to join the national team in a three-week sojourn in Estonia and Lithuania due to various injuries. Their return couldn't have come at a better time with Scottie Thompson, Dwight Ramos, and AJ Edu sidelined by injuries at the end of the Euro sojourn.
Others in attendance were June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, CJ Perez, Jamie Malonzo, Thirdy and Kiefer Ravena, Poy Erram, Edu, Chris Newsome, Rhenz Abando, Ramos, and naturalized players Justin Brownlee and Ange Kouame.
Oftana went down with a calf strain while playing for the national team in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games, Pogoy fractured his finger during the PBA Governors’ Cup finals, while Parks nursed an injured wrist.
But except for Pogoy, the rest of the team already joined the entire two-hour drills Gilas did in its first practice back in Manila. “Si Roger was only able to join the shooting drill. But other than that, hindi pa siya puwedeng tumanggap ng direct pass,” said coach Chot Reyes. “So shooting drills, pa-bounce pass, bounce pass lang ang sinasalo niya. Or inaabot lang ng ganun sa kanya (yung bola). But he still cannot catch a direct, strong chest pass.”
Source: spin.ph
Comments