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Romwel Anzures

ABS-CBN News

<div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);min-height:13.8px"><span></span><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/171559836217620240225-fiba-gilas-taipei-2MD_9587 (1)-MD.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone. <em>Photo by Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News.</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Gilas Pilipinas is set to resume its training for the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in mid-June.</p><p>The Nationals are looking to book a ticket into the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, and while that would already be a daunting task to achieve, Tim Cone’s squad is already dealing with a few setbacks even before their start of camp. </p><p>&quot;Right now, obviously Jamie Malonzo is injured and will not play in this window, so we are looking for Japeth [Aguilar] again to try to come and be a part of the 12,&quot; Cone said during an interview with the <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23jymNFj9bc">Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas</a>.</p><p>According to multiple reports, Malonzo has undergone an operation to repair a calf injury, and his recovery time will keep him out of the Olympic qualifiers. Thus, Cone is looking to tap his veteran Barangay Ginebra big man for Gilas yet again.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"><br/></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"><span><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/171559834001620240225-fiba-gilas-taipei-MD-0438.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Gilas Pilipinas’ Japeth Aguilar. Photo by Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News."/><span class="fr-inner"><span contenteditable="true" id="isPasted" style="text-align:left">Gilas Pilipinas’ Japeth Aguilar. <em>Photo by Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News.</em></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);min-height:13.8px"><br/></div><p>&quot;He was a team captain in the first window, and he is expected to be a team captain again in the second window. But we haven&#x27;t gotten a full agreement from him yet, that he&#x27;s gonna come, so that&#x27;s still up in the air,&quot; Cone said, while laying down the factors why Aguilar is the perfect guy to put in the Final 12.</p><p>&quot;However, there are so many things about Japeth. Number one, everyone likes Japeth. He&#x27;s just an easy guy to get along with, he&#x27;s so sacrificial. He&#x27;ll step in the background and doesn&#x27;t need to be in the forefront all the time, and that makes him a great teammate,&quot; explained the multi-titled coach.</p><p>&quot;Number two, he knows our system, he&#x27;s been with me for a long time. It&#x27;s not like he will be coming in from the cold and we&#x27;ll need to teach him all over again. He comes in, and he actually ends up being a teacher. He&#x27;s teaching June Mar [Fajardo], Kai [Sotto], and he&#x27;s almost like a coach on the floor. That makes him really good,&quot; he said further.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"><span><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/171559829947220240225-fiba-gilas-taipei-MD-0480.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Gilas Pilipinas’ Japeth Aguilar. Photo by Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News."/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Gilas Pilipinas’ Japeth Aguilar. <em>Photo by Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News.</em></span></span></span></span></div><p>&quot;And he&#x27;s still athletic. I don&#x27;t know how he does it, he&#x27;s 37 years old and he jumps out of the gym, still. He&#x27;s still a force to be reckoned with, and AJ Edu has been injured, you had Kai who had back issues, June Mar has been injured lately, so Japeth being able to join those three guys and be our big man is really crucial for us.&quot;</p><p>However, he knows that Aguilar also has responsibilities as a father of two young children.</p><p>&quot;We&#x27;re hoping that he could join us. He&#x27;s got two young babies, so that&#x27;s one of the hesitations of having to leave home, staying away from his children,&quot; he pointed out.</p><p>Meanwhile, Cone has some positive news on the situation of Edu who was previously out due to a torn meniscus.</p><p>&quot;I was talking to him two days ago, and he is not yet back to playing, but he&#x27;s at the very edge of the ending of his rehab process,&quot; revealed the winningest coach in Philippine basketball.</p><p>&quot;He&#x27;s going from Japan to London, and he has a physiotherapist there that he will continue to work with. He should start playing in a week or two, so he should be fine when we go on the 21st,&quot; he added. </p><p>The team will be holding a training camp at the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna on that date right before they head overseas for a couple of tuneup games ahead of the actual qualifiers.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n7zdLtFoo-s?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>Gilas Pilipinas is set to resume its training for the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in mid-June.</p>

Gilas Pilipinas is set to resume its training for the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in mid-June.

Tim Cone hoping Japeth Aguilar can suit up for Gilas in Olympic qualifiers

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Tim Cone hoping Japeth Aguilar can suit up for Gilas in Olympic qualifiers

Romwel Anzures,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 13, 2024 07:34 PM PHT

Read More:

Basketball

ABSSports

PBA

Gilas Pilipinas

FIBA

Japeth Aguilar

Jamie Malonzo

Tim Cone

FIBA OQTs

FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament

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