By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Kai Sotto and Dwight Ramos will reinforce the Gilas Pilipinas men’s national basketball team for the upcoming November window of the FIBA Asia World Cup Asian qualifiers.
Despite their respective commitments to their international ball club teams, two of the youngest stars tapped by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) will don the blue and white jersey and will catch up with the team’s training once they arrive in the Philippines.
Sotto is expected to be released by the Adelaide 36ers anytime soon while Ramos, who is currently playing in the Japan B. League, is reportedly set to fly home at the end of October.
Both young Gilas cadets were instrumental to the national team during their past FIBA window and were both starters against Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.
The duo will look to give the country a sigh of relief as they take on Jordan on November 10 and Saudi Arabia again on November 13.
Aside from Ramos and Sotto, the trio of Kiefer & Thirdy Ravena and Ray Parks Jr. will also join the Gilas pool.
The Ravenas and Parks Jr. will also follow the same protocols as Ramos as they all play as Asian imports in Japan and will most likely arrive in the country at the end of October as well.
According to the SBP and head coach Chot Reyes, the national team will begin its intensive training camp as soon as possible.
Gilas already called up for a Monday session training last month and was graced by almost every player named in the roster except for June Mar Fajardo in the past few weeks due to his throat injury.
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) also worked hand in hand with the SBP and will undergo a long break starting from October 30 until November 4.
Despite a few more games remaining in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup before the playoffs, the league agreed to adjust its tournament dates to let the professional members of Gilas participate in all the team training.
Reyes and the rest of the Gilas coaching staff are yet to name their final playing roster against Jordan and Saudi Arabia and will have a few weeks left to decide.
