Dwight Ramos sticks to positive mindset after 'tough' FIBA Asia Cup for Gilas

Dwight Ramos was candid about how he felt with Gilas Pilipinas' stint in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025, where the national team struggled to get going and ultimately made their exit in the quarterfinals.

Taking a few moments of rest and relaxation in Manila before heading back to Japan to continue his stint with the Levanga Hokkaido, Ramos caught action of the PVL on Tour Finals where his partner Kim Kianna Dy won her first title with the PLDT High Speed Hitters.

There, he said that it was about a growth mindset for Gilas Pilipinas after their unceremonious FIBA Asia Cup exit at the hands of eventual champion Australia.

[RELATED: Tim Cone points to Chinese Taipei game as key factor in Gilas Pilipinas’ early FIBA Asia Cup exit]

“I mean, we just had a tough tournament and whenever you’re losing you just want to think about how can you get better so that’s my mindset. How can I get better going into my season in Japan,” Ramos said.

After losing their first two games in the tournament, including a frustrating defeat at the hands of Chinese Taipei, Gilas was still able to score some positive points to advance into the final eight.

Perhaps the highlight of the stint was a big 95-88 victory in overtime against Saudi Arabia to qualify for the quarterfinals.

Though ultimately falling short of their bigger FIBA Asia Cup goals, Ramos took solace in the fact that they were able to get some key victories. If not for their own development, Ramos said that it was a big deal to be able to give fans something to cheer about.

Saudi Arabia is home to scores of Overseas Filipino Workers, most of whom came out to support Gilas live in the arena at the King Abdullah Sports City.

As a consolation, Ramos hopes that he and the rest of Gilas gave the Filipinos some good moments, especially when they miss home.

“There’s a lot of Filipinos living in Saudi Arabia, so for us to win in Saudi, you know it gives them something to brag about.” he said.