Raul Soyud a surprise call-up as more Gilas Men enter 'Calambubble' on Friday

Raul Soyud could get his first national team cap after an impressive PBA season. PBA Images (file photo)

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA--Another reason why the University of the Philippines was in the spotlight on Monday night emerged, but this time in basketball.

Former Fighting Maroon Raul Soyud was added to the Gilas Pilipinas Men pool for the third window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.

In fact, Gilas Men manager Gabby Cui said on Tuesday night that the current NLEX power forward is set to enter the national team training in Calamba this weekend.

"I can tell you that on the 22nd, Roger Pogoy, Troy Rosario, and Raul Soyud [will enter the bubble]," Cui said in The Game newscast, baring the other two players confirmed to be rejoining the Gilas Men practices.

A bruiser with a decent output from beyond the arc, the six-foot-six Soyud emerged as one of the Road Warriors' new key players during the PBA season bubble in Angeles last year, earning him a Most Improved Player nomination.

On the other hand, Pogoy continued to impress last PBA season as well for TNT, eventually earning for himself a nomination for the Elite 5, where he finished third among the guards behind eventual members Matt Wright and Stanley Pringle, who was later named the Best Player of the Conference for the Philippine Cup.

Cui then added that Pogoy, Rosario, and Soyud are to take a preliminary RT-PCR test on Tuesday and will take another testing upon arriving at the Inspire Sports Academy on Friday.

If they get cleared, Pogoy, Rosario, and Soyud will join fellow PBA stars Kiefer Ravena, CJ Perez, and Justin Chua in the Gilas Men practice along with the core of the team that played in the second window in Manama, Bahrain last November.

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