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KAI Sotto is set for his debut with the Gilas Pilipinas men’s basketball team.
“I will join the national team,” he said in a short video shown during Fiba Smart’s global press conference on Thursday. “I’m excited. I hope we do our best. Sobrang special nito for sa ating lahat.”
Sotto, 18, will be a big boost for the national team heading into the third window of the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers that the country will host with a bubble set up in the Clark Freeport area in February of next year.
The 7-foot-2 center is currently in the US playing for the NBA G League Ignite team.
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Sotto’s debut with the senior team is a welcome development for Gilas, especially Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) program director Tab Baldwin.
However, he clarified that talks are still ongoing about Sotto’s availability for the February window considering the teenager’s commitments in the United States.
“At this point, you’ve heard Kai and he said he will be available,” he said. “Obviously, this is the first step. We would like to think that we are convinced that he will be there in February, but there are still ongoing discussions.”
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The prodigious former Athenaeum Blue Eaglet has made his mark with Batang Gilas on the international stage and Baldwin keeps his fingers crossed that the boy can play for the senior team sooner rather than later.
“Everyone is hopeful. We can’t wait to welcome Kai into Gilas’ fold and take the next step towards 2023 with him,” he said. “I’m very excited to know that he is passionate about it too.”
