The Korean national basketball team has lost half of its 14-member team for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers next week after six tested positive for COVID-19, while another one is recovering from an injury.
Basketball officials in Korea announced this following RT-PCR tests done to the team on Wednesday, before the national pool entered a training bubble in Goyang.
The coaching staff, headed by Cho Sang Yun, will be forced to come up with a new 14-man roster of seven mainstays, plus seven new players from their 24-member pool.
The final list of players leaving for Manila is now being completed, with COVID-infected veterans Ra Gun-Ah, Kim Jong Kyu, Kim Sun-hyung and Yang Hong Seok unable to join the team.
The two more, who tested positive were Heo Hoon and Lee Woosuk, while Choi Junyong is recovering from a sprained ankle.
The absence of the seven is expected to significantly affect Korea’s performance when it clashes with Gilas Pilipinas, India and New Zealand in their Group A matches.
The 6’8” Ra, also known as American cager Ricardo Ratliffe, and his backup Kim, are Korea’s reliable big men.
Ratliffe plays for the Jeonju KCC Egis in the Korean Basketball League, while the 6’2” Kim is part of the Wonju DB Promy. The 5’11” Heo plays for KT Sonicboom in the KBL and is the league’s Most Valuable Player back in 2020.
The KBL is experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases, with a large of players testing positive in the past days, forcing the league to cancel their games for the meantime.
Meanwhile, Gilas coach Chot Reyes has added Jayson Castro to the preliminary list of players.
Castro still made the cut after getting hurt late in the TNT Tropang Giga’s game with San Miguel on Wednesday night in the ongoing PBA Governors’ Cup.
The 35-year-old Castro will join young players Dwight Ramos, Juan Gomez De Liano, Ange Kouame, Tzaddy Rangel, Jaydee Tungcab and Will Navarro.
Also in the preliminary list are Thirdy Ravena, Poy Erram, Troy Rosario and Robert Bolick, J-Jay Alejandro, Gab Banal, Brian Heruela, Kib Montalbo, Lebron Lopez and Glenn Khobuntin.
Roger Pogoy was also included despite having a calf injury.
Gilas will meet Korea twice on February 24 and 28; India on February 25 and New Zealand on February 27.
The Philippines is already qualified for the World Cup as co-hosts of the Final Phase in 2023.