Gilas Pilipinas Men, continuing their tradition under head coach Tim Cone, will have a send-off friendly before departing for Riga, Latvia.
The Philippines will face Taiwan Mustangs, a team coached by Chris Gavina and featuring Dwight Howard, on Monday at Philsports Arena in Pasig.
Coach Cone organizes these events to strengthen Gilas’ connection with the fans.
Previously, Gilas Men had a one-day meet-and-greet with the Women’s team before the Asian Games and an open-door friendly against Changwon LG.
From Friday to Sunday, Gilas will train at Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna.
(C) Inspire Sports Academy
The team will be led by Justin Brownlee alongside PBA stalwarts June Mar Fajardo, Chris Newsome, CJ Perez, Japeth Aguilar, Scottie Thompson, and Calvin Oftana.
International players Kai Sotto (Koshigaya), Dwight Ramos (Hokkaido), and Carl Tamayo (Changwon LG) are also included, along with amateur standouts Kevin Quiambao (La Salle) and Mason Amos (Ateneo).
Jamie Malonzo and AJ Edu remain sidelined due to injuries.
In Latvia, Gilas will play friendlies against Turkey on the 27th and Poland on the 29th.
