By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Gilas Pilipinas bound for the 19th Asian Games made significant changes in its roster with less than a week before the start of the men’s basketball competition in Hangzhou, China.

Gilas interim head coach Tim Cone announced the addition of San Miguel Beermen’s Jaymar Perez, Marcio Lassiter and Chris Ross; NLEX Road Warriors’ Kevin Alas; and NorthPort Batang Pier’s Arvin Tolentino to the 12-man lineup.

Ross, Perez, Alas, and Tolentino were added as an assurance, if ever Calvin Abueva, Jason Perkins, Terrence Romeo, and Moala Tautuaa were disallowed by the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (HAGOC).

There were questions regarding Abueva, Perkins, Romeo, and Tautuaa’s Asiad eligibility as they were not included in the 60-player provisional roster that was submitted by the Philippine Olympic Committee.

“Just to clarify, we have yet to receive official word from HAGOC regarding our lineup appeal, but we just made an addition as insurance,” Cone said in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, September 19.

On the other hand, Lassiter was inserted into the 12-man team as a replacement for Roger Pogoy, who begged off from the competition for unmentioned medical reasons.

The rest of Cone’s Gilas team include naturalized players Justin Brownlee and Angelo Kouame; and local players June Mar Fajardo, Calvin Oftana, Chris Newsome, Japeth Aguilar, and Earl Scottie Thompson.

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said Gilas Pilipinas is not backing out from the competition despite the challenges they encounter in putting up the lineup.

“Puwede naman kaming umayaw eh, pero sila, ‘Hindi, laban tayo,’” Marcial said.

“Ang hiling ko lang, suportahan niyo ang Gilas, at kailangan natin magdasal,” he added. /ASC, WDJ