FILE – South Korea before its game against the Philippines in the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers in Clark, Pampanga. Photo from Fiba
MANILA, Philippines–South Korea, which is up for two titanic clashes with Gilas Pilipinas in this month’s window of the 2023 Fiba (International Basketball Federation) Basketball World Cup qualifiers, stands to send just 10 players for those matches after COVID-19 infected at least three key members of the squad.
The Koreans could also play without head coach Cho Sang-hyun after he was considered as a close-contact person.
According to Korean publication Jumpball, three players tested positive for the coronavirus and three more were considered close-contacts, pruning down Korea’s formidable roster to just 10 men.
Ricardo Ratliffe, now known as Ra Gun-A and the squad’s naturalized player, and 2020 Korean Basketball League Most Valuable Player Heo Hoon are among the players who tested positive for COVID-19.
Korea’s national cage body, the Korea Basketball Association, is now appealing to Fiba to allow its team to make late adjustments to the roster.
This window is more important to Korea than the Philippines, which will cohost the event with Indonesia and Japan and is already assured of a slot in the main draw.