Matthew Wright is eager to help Gilas Pilipinas defend the gold medal in men's 5x5 basketball for the upcoming Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.
Matthew Wright didn’t hide his desire to join Gilas Pilipinas’ pool under coach Tim Cone.
Wright sees his national stint in the Southeast Asian Games next month as his pathway back to the main team, which is currently playing in the first window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
“Yeah. I’ll be ignorant to think not,” Wright said during his recent appearance at the Japan B.Hope Asia Hoop Festival.
“I know that I wanna play well. I wanna represent the country.”
[RELATED STORY: Matthew Wright eager to step up in Gilas return for SEA Games 2025]
Since being part of the SEA Games team that shockingly bowed to Indonesia in the gold medal match in 2022, the 34-year-old has yet to don a national team jersey again.
But the wait is now over for Wright after receiving a call from coach Norman Black, who will call the shots for Gilas in the multi-sport spectacle in Thailand.
[ALSO READ: What if Dwight Ramos stayed at Ateneo? Gilas star reflects on his brief time as a Blue Eagle]
Currently a free agent, the SEA Games 2025 is Wright’s sole focus, and could also be a prime opportunity for him to ball out and get a call from coach Tim next.
“I still feel like I’m a valuable asset to have on the Gilas team,” he said.
“Hopefully we can just go out there and compete win a gold medal. Everything else will fall into place after that.”
[ALSO READ: Gilas Women buck personnel issues following late SEA Games decision on eligibility]
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Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.