MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas will only have an 11-person crew to contend with in Latvia at the next Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

The latest member of the national team to be sidelined is guard Scottie Thompson. The former PBA MVP hasn’t entirely healed from a bulging disc that has been bothering him throughout Ginebra’s recent Philippine Cup campaign.

The 30-year-old guard who is scheduled to compete in the July 2–7 Olympic qualifying tournament has been excluded, according to team manager Richard Del Rosario.

Thompson is now sidelined with injured teammates Jamie Malonzo and AJ Edu. Given the imminence of the team’s departure, Gilas is unlikely to locate a last-minute Thompson substitute.

Malonzo and Edu will be replaced on the team by reserves Japeth Aguilar and Amos Mason.

The squad started a three-day closed-door training camp at the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna on Friday. “There is no certainty (of a replacement) because a visa is required. It may not arrive,” Del Rosario added.

On Tuesday, Gilas is scheduled to go for Europe in order to play two friendly against the national teams of Poland and Turkey.

The Philippines is paired in Group A with Georgia and Latvia, and in Group B with Brazil, Montenegro, and Cameroon in the qualifications where only one team will go to the Olympics.

Previously, Gilas departs for the OQT training facility

This weekend, GILAS Pilipinas will begin its training camp behind closed doors at the Inspire Sports Academy in anticipation of the Paris Olympic qualifications.

The national team, led by head coach Tim Cone, departs on Friday for their camp in Laguna, which runs through Sunday.

Justin Brownlee, a naturalized player, traveled to the United States on Monday and will be training camp with the squad the whole time.

Brownlee has just returned from playing in the Basketball Champions League Asia, which was held in Dubai, with the Indonesian team Pelita Jaya.

However, AJ Edu (knee) and Jamie Malonzo (calf) will not be available for the national team; instead, backups Japeth Aguilar and rookie big man Mason Amos are anticipated to take their places. June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Chris Newsome, Scottie Thompson, Calvin Oftana, Dwight Ramos, Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, and Kai Sotto make up the remaining members of the team.

As part of the sendoff organized by the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP), Gilas will play a tune-up game against the Taiwan Mustangs on Monday at the Philsports Arena following the camp.

The game is scheduled at 6:00 p.m. and will be broadcast live on Pilipinas Live, One Sports, and One Sports+.

The Filipinos go to Europe the next day to play a friendly match against the national teams of Poland and Turkey before moving on to Latvia for the qualifying round.

The OQT is scheduled for July 2–7 in Latvia, with the host nation and Georgia in between the Philippines.

GILAS 2024 roster

The skilled players on the roster of GILAS Pilipinas, the Philippine squad that will participate in FIBA 2024, come from a variety of PBA clubs. Chris Newsome from the Meralco Bolts and June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez from the San Miguel Beermen provide their tremendous abilities to the national squad. The team also includes Justine Brownlee, who plays for Pelita Jaya in Indonesia at the moment. Barangay Ginebra San Miguel is represented by Japeth Aguilar and Scottie Thompson, while TNT Tropang Giga is represented by Calvin Oftana.

International players on the team include Kai Sotto(Filipino) of the Yokohama B-Corsairs in Japan and Dwight Ramos(Filipino) of Levanga Hokkaido in Japan. The remaining players are Mason Amos of Ateneo de Manila University, Kevin Quiambao of De La Salle University, and Carl Tamayo of Changwon LG Sakers in South Korea. The players chosen for this team highlight the depth of quality and global exposure that GILAS Pilipinas will offer to the FIBA 2024 competition.