SPORTS
Advocates Philippines
Baltazar Arrives, Gomez De Liano Returns As Gilas Gears Up For Tall Blacks, Boomers Clash
Photo credit: PBA
Justine Baltazar and Juan Gomez de Liano showed up on the first day of practice as the national team began preparations for the second window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
For Baltazar, the 6-foot-9 Converge big man, it’s a first—he joins the Gilas pool for the first time in his career. Gomez de Liano, meanwhile, is no stranger to the setup. He trained with the squad during the first window last year but fell short of making the final roster.
Their presence comes at a crucial time. Gilas will be without two key big men—Kai Sotto and Quentin Millora-Brown—who both begged off to suit up due to commitments in Japan’s B.League.
Also present in the opening of the 10-day training camp at the Upper Deck Sports Center were veterans and core players including June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, Scottie Thompson, RJ Abarrientos, Troy Rosario, and naturalized ace Justin Brownlee.
More reinforcements are on the way. Overseas standouts Dwight Ramos and AJ Edu from Japan’s B.League, along with Carl Tamayo and Kevin Quiambao from the Korean Basketball League, are expected to arrive within the week.
Once the full core is assembled, Gilas will head to Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna for a closed-door training camp to fine-tune their preparations.
The Philippines will face the New Zealand Tall Blacks on February 26 before taking on the Australia Boomers on March 1 in back-to-back games at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The stakes are high. Both the Philippines and Australia sit on top of Group A with identical 2-0 records, while New Zealand and Guam are still searching for their first wins at 0-2.
With new additions, returning faces, and powerhouse opponents ahead, Gilas’ road in the qualifiers is heating up—and it all starts in camp.
For Baltazar, the 6-foot-9 Converge big man, it’s a first—he joins the Gilas pool for the first time in his career. Gomez de Liano, meanwhile, is no stranger to the setup. He trained with the squad during the first window last year but fell short of making the final roster.
Their presence comes at a crucial time. Gilas will be without two key big men—Kai Sotto and Quentin Millora-Brown—who both begged off to suit up due to commitments in Japan’s B.League.
Also present in the opening of the 10-day training camp at the Upper Deck Sports Center were veterans and core players including June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, Scottie Thompson, RJ Abarrientos, Troy Rosario, and naturalized ace Justin Brownlee.
More reinforcements are on the way. Overseas standouts Dwight Ramos and AJ Edu from Japan’s B.League, along with Carl Tamayo and Kevin Quiambao from the Korean Basketball League, are expected to arrive within the week.
Once the full core is assembled, Gilas will head to Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna for a closed-door training camp to fine-tune their preparations.
The Philippines will face the New Zealand Tall Blacks on February 26 before taking on the Australia Boomers on March 1 in back-to-back games at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The stakes are high. Both the Philippines and Australia sit on top of Group A with identical 2-0 records, while New Zealand and Guam are still searching for their first wins at 0-2.
With new additions, returning faces, and powerhouse opponents ahead, Gilas’ road in the qualifiers is heating up—and it all starts in camp.
Feb 17, 2026
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