Fierce rivals during the grueling Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup finals, San Miguel Beer stars June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez and TNT ace Calvin Oftana are all stoked to play together for the national team’s cause.
The trio will be reporting for another tour of duty when Gilas Pilipinas opens its 2025 FIBA Asia Cup campaign next week in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
“I’m excited because this time I’m playing for the country. I’ve been a part of Gilas for quite some time so I’m always excited to play. Para sa bayan,” Perez said.
Perez and Fajardo played crucial roles in helping the Beermen spoil the Tropang 5G’s grand slam bid after annexing the all-Filipino crown in six hard-fought games.
Oftana, on the other hand, wants to take advantage of the opportunity to serve the country in its chase to end a 40-year title drought in the prestigious continental cage competition.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve our country,” said the Tropang 5G forward.
Perez will get to suit up for Gilas, albeit in limited minutes, in the sendoff tuneup match against the Macau Black Bears today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
However, Fajardo and Oftana will sit out the first of two friendlies of Gilas before flying to Jeddah on Wednesday to rest their weary and banged-up bodies.
The 12-time Best Player of the Conference center is nursing a calf injury he sustained in Game 1 of the Beermen’s semifinals series against Barangay Ginebra.
“I hope that during this break, he can recuperate quickly since our national team will be leaving by the end of this month,” San Miguel Beer coach Leo Austria said of the eight-time Most Valuable Player.
“And I hope that he can recover because he will be a good help to the national team.”
Oftana is nursing a sprain he sustained on both ankles.
The three players missed the short training camp of the Tim Cone-mentored Gilas over the weekend.
Gilas will play another tuneup game against Jordan on Sunday before taking on Chinese Taipei on 6 August.
The Filipinos will challenge New Zealand on the 8th before wrapping their Group D assignment on the 10th against Iraq.
Also playing for Gilas are Justin Brownlee, Dwight Ramos, Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, Chris Newsome, Carl Tamayo, AJ Edu, Japeth Aguilar, Troy Rosario, RJ Abarrientos and Kevin Quiambao.