Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 12) – The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas on Saturday announced the rosters for the Philippine women’s 5×5 and 3×3 teams and the men’s 3×3 squad for the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEAG).
The Perlas Pilipinas 5×5 will be led by familiar faces from the squad that brought home the country’s first ever SEAG women’s basketball gold medal in 2019 at home soil.
Afril Bernardino, Janine Pontejos, Chack Cabinbin, Clare Castro, Andrea Tongco, and Khate Castillo are the holdovers from the last Perlas squad in the Manila SEAG.
Making their SEAG debut but were part of the Perlas squad who competed in the 2021 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup are National University (NU) standouts Camille Clarin, Kristine Cayabyab and Karl Ann Pingol, and Fairlen Dickinson University guard Ella Fajardo.
Those who will have their Perlas 5×5 debuts in the Vietnam SEAG are NU players Monique Del Carmen, Gemma Miranda, Angel Surada and Mikka Cacho, Ateneo’s Katrina Guytingco, and former University of Washington cager Mai-Loni Henson.
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The Perlas 3×3 squad – which also bagged the gold in 2019 – retained its core for this year’s SEAG. Bernardino, Castro, and Pontejos are still part of the quartet with Clarin as the addition.
Missing for the Perlas teams is five-time UAAP champion and Serbian club ŽKK Radnički Kragujevac frontcourt ace Jack Animam.
Meanwhile, PBA 3×3 first conference champions Limitless Appmasters were tapped to represent the country in the competition.
Reymar Caduyac, Jorey Napoles, Marvin Hayes, and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser are expected to defend the gold for the Philippines.
The Gilas Pilipinas 5×5 squad was first announced on Friday by head coach Chot Reyes.
The 31st SEAG is scheduled from May 12 to 23 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
