Chot likes turnout at Gilas practice

MANILA, Philippines — Coach Chot Reyes likes the determination and commitment he sees from his Gilas Pilpinas troops, who are fulfilling their national team duties despite dealing with injury or a taxing club schedule.

Gilas’ latest weekly session last Monday drew a good turnout of 16 players, including Meralco’s Chris Newsome, who is out of action due to a calf contusion, and Barangay Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar and Jamie Malonzo, who took part a day after a hard-fought game against the Bolts in the PBA.

“We told the players, some of them had games last night (Sunday) and everyone has also practiced today (Monday), we’re not going to overextend them. We had specific things that we wanted to achieve but they went hard right away,” said Reyes.

“These guys are in shape but more importantly, they want to get the opportunity of playing together,” he added.

Newsome sat on the sidelines along with naturalization prospect Justin Brownlee while their Gilas teammates went about the routines and ran set plays.

Aside from the Ginebra trio, San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez and TNT’s RR Pogoy, Poy Erram and Calvin Oftana and NorthPort’s Arvin Tolentino, among others, also enthusiastically participated.

Ditto UP’s Carl Tamayo, La Salle’s Kevin Quiambao and Ateneo’s Ange Kouame and Lebron Lopez and full-time Gilas player Will Navarro.

Tamayo and Quiambao reunited as teammates a couple of days after going head-to-head in the newly-opened UAAP season. Tamayo came to Gilas practice straight from the Maroons’ training.