Kai may suit up for Gilas in Asia Cup
HOPES are high that Kai Sotto will be able to strut his wares here when Gilas Pilipinas plays South Korea and Indonesia in the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers comes June inside the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.
Now that the program of games in the Asia Cup qualifying has been released by the world’s governing body in basketball, all parties involved can begin working on arrangements on the schedule of Sotto, who last played on local soil three years ago as member of the Ateneo junior squad.
A few days ago during an online presser, the 7-foot-3 Sotto reiterated his willingness to don the Gilas uniform in the Asia Cup qualifying and future international tournaments.
“I would like to announce also that I’m very excited and honored to be joining the Gilas National team that will be playing this OQT and FIBA Asia Cup,” Sotto said during the conference where he unveiled as a Smart ambassador.
The Nationals will play the South Koreans on June 16 and again on June 19, and meet Indonesia on June 20, needing only one victory to make it to the Asia Cup scheduled in August in Jakarta.
Sotto is expected to be the face of a young all-cadet squad, which the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) hopes to carry the national colors in even in the final Olympic qualifying set in June in Serbia.
Gilas is bracketed with Serbia and Puerto Rico, its hopes of advancing to the second round of the qualifier looking too formidable.
Hopefully, the core of this all-cadet team will represent the country in the FIBA World Cup which the Philippines is co-hosting with Indonesia and Japan in 2023.
The latest additions to the Gilas pool which will pitch camp at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna very soon are Jordan Heading, Jaydee Tungcab, Will Navarro and Tzaddy Rangel, all chosen by SBP during the PBA Rookie Draft in February.
The Nationals set out in the Asia Cup qualifiers holding a 3-0 win-loss record, their last two victories coming at the expense of Thailand during the second window last year in Bahrain.
