GILAS Pilipinas mainstay Dwight Ramos is bracing for a tough FIBA tournament this year, with the nationals looking to bring more glory for the country.
The national team is set to play in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 group stage on Aug. 5-17 in Saudi Arabia and the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers, which will begin in November.
In the Asia Cup, the Philippines, currently ranked 32nd in the World, was drawn with World No. 22 New Zealand, no. 73 Chinese Taipei, and No. 93 Iraq in Pool D.
In the Asia Cup, Gilas will miss the services of 7-foot-3 center Kai Sotto, who is still recovering from a torn left anterior cruciate ligament while playing for his Japan B.League club Koshigaya Alphas.
“The Asia Cup is going to be tough for sure, you know, we don’t have Kai, but we’re going to figure it out and see who’s available, who can play and, you know, that’s our job as the players just to show up and do our best, so that’s all I’m going to do. I’m going to train, get ready for it and put my best foot forward for the Asia Cup,” said Ramos, who graced the viewing of the Japan B.League Game 1 Finals at the Gateway Mall 2 UGB Quantum Skyview in Cubao.
“I played with Gilas every year since 2020 and every year I have to play against New Zealand, so that’s tough and then obviously we lost to Taipei, so we want to get back at them,” he added.
Ramos said he is set to return to the United States to train before the continental contest.
“I’m just going to try and get ready. I have about two months before the Asia Cup, so I’ve got to plan my training. That’s like eight, about eight, ten weeks, so we’ll see how, what I can do in that time,” he said.
The 6-foot-4 wingman recently re-signed with the Levanga Hokkaido where he posted an average of 11.5 points on 40.7 field goal percent, 2.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists per game in the 2024-25 season of the Japan B.League.
