Gilas includes Justin Arana, Mike Phillips in expanded Asian Games pool

Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone during a tune-up game against Macau Black Bears. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Anticipating eligibility requirements, Gilas Pilipinas has prepared a “long list” of players being considered for the men’s basketball campaign in the 2026 Asian Games in Japan this September.

Part of that pool includes Justin Arana and Mike Phillips, national team coach Tim Cone revealed on Sunday.

“Justin’s [Arana] is on it. Mike Phillips is on it. There are all these kinds of players. We picked about 30 players,” he said after Barangay Ginebra’s win over TNT in the PBA. “There’s like 30 players on the list. So we had to make a long list because we don’t know the rules.”

Phillips has previously suited up for Gilas during the 2023 Southeast Asian Games, where the Philippines captured the gold medal.

Cone clarified, however, that inclusion in the Asian Games pool does not necessarily mean inclusion in the roster for the ongoing Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

“It’s not in terms of the Fiba window. It’s all about the Asian Games and the eligibility list,” he said. “That will have nothing to do with the Fiba window,” he added.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas has dealt with eligibility issues in previous tournaments, with requirements often depending on the rules set by organizers for events such as the Asian Games and SEA Games.

Last December, Gilas Pilipinas’ SEA Games roster underwent several revisions before receiving clearance.

In Aichi-Nagoya, The Philippines is looking to defend the Asian Games gold medal it won in the 2022 edition in Hangzhou.