TNT stars, Soyud to join Gilas pool in training bubble

TNT’s Roger Pogoy and Troy Rosario along with former import Terrence Jones INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Three more PBA veterans are set to enter Gilas Pilipinas’ training pool inside the bubble at Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna on Friday.

Roger Pogoy and Troy Rosario of TNT and Raul Soyud of NLEX will undergo swab tests on Tuesday before joining the pool ahead of the February window of the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers, as per Gilas team manager Gabby Cui.

“I’m coming in on the 22nd along with Roger, Troy and Raul Soyud. And then on the 22nd, we enter Inspire, where we do another round of RT-PCR based on protocol so that we can get inside the bubble,” Cui said on One Sports’ The Game as posted on ESPN5.

Pogoy and Rosario are coming off a finals run with the Tropang Giga in the Philippine Cup won by the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings.

The 28-year-old Pogoy was among the candidates for the Best Player of the Conference award after averaging 20 points, 5.7 rebounds and steals last season.

Soyud, meanwhile, had a breakout conference for the Road Warriors after he normed 10 points on a 74 percent clip from the field and close to seven rebounds per game, making a case for the Most Improved Player plum.

Members of the pool as well as the coaching staff have already entered the bubble earlier this month.

The three will join other PBA stars in CJ Perez, Kiefer Ravena, Justin Chua in the bubble.

Also at Inspire are Rey Suerte, Isaac Go, and brothers Mike and Matt Nieto. Completing the pool are Angelo Kouame, Javi Gomez De Liaño, Dave Ildefonso, Calvin Oftana, Justine Baltazar and Kemark Cariño.

The Philippine team is in for a tough one as it is scheduled to meet rival South Korea twice and a retooled Indonesian side.

“Korea’s no joke, they’re a force, so you gotta be ready to match them with their physicality. Indonesia also, they’re backed up by (Lester) Prosper,” Cui said.