CONE SETS RECOVERY TIME FOR GILAS PLAYERS

Gilas Pilipinas Head Coach Tim Cone Hopes The Extra Week Before The National Team reconvenes will give the players enough time to recover from their injuries and fatigue.

June mar fajardo, who powered san miguel beer to a successful title-retention of the pba philippine cup recently, played through a painful shoulder during the finals series against tnt.

Tnt gunner calvin oftana also played through some aches and pains in the title series, which smb won, 4-2, while meralco wingman chris newsome missed the rest of the bolts’ semifinal series against the tropang 5g since sustaining an mcl (medial collateral ligament) sprain on his knee.

Cone has said he is planning to call the team back in practice on feb. 15, which would give gilas pilipinas at least 10 days of preparation before hosting new zealand on feb. 26 at the sm mall of asia arena in the second window of the fiba world cup 2027 asian qualifiers.

Of course, among the three pba stars mentioned, newsome’s injury appeared to heal longer.

But cone believes the 35-year-old filipino american meralco star is doing his part as he recovers from the injury.

“he’s working hard to get back and we’ll know more when we return together,” cone told the manila times.

The american mentor said gilas pilipinas will be using the san miguel corp. Practice facility along c-5 and the upper deck gym in ortigas avenue in pasig city as venues for practice.

He also plans to bring the team to a few days of training camp at the inspire sports academy in calamba, laguna, during the 10-day preparation time.

Cone said he expects dwight ramos, aj edu, carl tamayo, kevin quiambao, quentin millora-brown and kai sotto to be back in the country by next week.

After new zealand, the philippines will face australia on march 1, also at the sm mall of asia arena.

The philippines opened the first window of the asian qualifiers with a lot of focus after manhandling guam, 87-46, at the former oceania national team’s home floor at the calvo field house on nov. 28.

Three days later, gilas pilipinas repeated via a 95-71 before a packed blue eagles gym inside the ateneo campus in katipunan, quezon city.

The philippines and australia currently share the lead at group a with similar 2-0 records.

2026-02-05T16:29:44Z