Japeth Aguilar is Gilas Pilipinas team captain for Fiba World Cup

FILE–Japeth Aguilar. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Japeth Aguilar, the athletic Barangay Ginebra forward, will be skippering the Gilas Pilipinas squad that will compete in the Fiba World Cup.

National coach Chot Reyes made the announcement on Tuesday night when team practice at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City was finally opened to the press and some of the team’s corporate sponsors.

A veteran of two World Cups, Aguilar will be leading easily the tallest squad that assembled for the quadrennial tournament as he will be teaming up with Kai Sotto (7’3″), AJ Edu (6’10”), and June Mar Fajardo (also 6’10”).

Aguilar and Fajardo played in Seville, Spain, in 2014 and again in Foshan, China, five years later.

“Totally different ‘tong team na ‘to,” Aguilar said of the current training pool, which will be officially finalized around Wednesday or Thursday.

“Talent-wise, I feel like mas talented ‘yung mga guys ngayon. But kailangan parin namin i-emulate ‘yung naging team namin noong 2014,” he added.

That 2014 Gilas squad, starred by the likes of Jimmy Alapag and another Ginebra ace in LA Tenorio, notched a milestone victory against Senegal.

The Philippines opens its campaign against the Dominican Republic this Friday at the cavernous Philippine Arena in Bulacan province.