Thirdy Ravena and Gilas Pilipinas bucked a slow start against Malaysia before putting on a clinic to claim an opening win in the SEA Games 2025 in Thailand.
Thirdy Ravena admitted that the jitters got to him early in his first game back as a member of Gilas Pilipinas Sunday, Dec. 14.
Fortunately, Ravena was able to shake that off as the Nationals went on to beat Malaysia, 83-58 in the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.
“Sa totoo lang, noong first half, sobrang kabado pa. The first game jitters were there,” Ravena said after the match.
Even for someone as seasoned as Ravena, who already played in international competitions like the Japan B.League, representing the country carries a different kind of weight.
Ravena last played for the national team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
“It’s different to play with a lot of responsibilities. Hindi tulad noong nasa Dubai ako, pretty much playing the last few minutes of the game,” Ravena said.
[RELATED STORY: Ray Parks Jr. leads Gilas vs Malaysia in SEA Games: 'Whatever the team needs me to do, I’ll do']
Now that he has found his groove, Ravena is determined to be a better player as Gilas defends its throne in the biennial meet.
“But now, being more responsible, I have to fix my game. I have to start really well and lead the team. At least, I was able to shake it off,” Ravena said.
[RELATED STORY: GILAS SCHEDULE | Philippine basketball at SEA Games 2025]
It’s a quick turnaround for the Filipino hoopers, who will face Vietnam Monday, Dec. 15.
Game time is at 12:30 p.m.
(With reports from Carlo Pamintuan/Cignal)
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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.