Kai Sotto tears ACL during B.League 2025 season game
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Gilas Pilipinas releases 15-man pool for 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers
The Gilas Pilipinas has released its list of 15 players who will compete in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers on November 21 and 25 to be held at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Among of those were: June Mar Fajardo, Ange Kouame, Jamie Malonzo, Chris Newsome, Japeth Aguilar, Mason Amos, Justin Brownlee, Aj Edu, Calvin Oftana, CJ Perez, Kevin Quiambao, Dwight Ramos, Kai Sotto, Carl Tamayo and Scottie Thompson.
Ange Kouame has been included in Gilas Pilipinas after the Samahan ng Basketbol ng Pilipinas confirmed it.According to SBP executive director Erika Dy, Kouame will also participate in the Gilas camp at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba City Laguna starting November 15.
Dy also said that having multiple naturalized players in the first pool submitted to FIBA is allowed, until the eve of the game where a technical meeting will be held to finalize the roster.
“The night before [a game], there’s a technical meeting. You have to have only one naturalized [player],” Dy said.
Photo courtesy SBP
Kouame’s presence gives Cone the option to rest Brownlee in the meantime in one of the two qualifiers. Under FIBA rules, Gilas Pilipinas must choose between Brownlee and Kouame which naturalized player will play in each of the two games in the current window.
Meanwhile, Brownlee, part of the original group of players under Gilas coach Tim Cone, is expected to still be able to play in the FIBA window after a grueling PBA Governors’ Cup Finals with Barangay Ginebra where his health has been in question.
Meanwhile, Kai Sotto is also certain to play for Gilas Philippines in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers on November 21 and 25, despite suffering an ankle sprain in the previous game.
According to Richard Del Rosario, deputy coach of Barangay Ginebra and University of Perpetual Help, he has added Sotto to the Gilas training camp at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba City, Laguna.
“Yes, he will join Gilas. His injury a couple of days ago was just a minor sprain,” Del Rosario said in Filipino.
Right now, Gilas Pilipinas is currently tied on top of Group B together with New Zealand.
