Year-ender: Biggest headlines for Gilas Pilipinas in 2025

Gilas Pilipinas had a fair share of ups and downs in Year 2025.

The Nationals grappled with injuries and losses that ultimately tested their resolve.

But the Gilas Men powered through to cap the year on a positive note after sweeping Guam in the first window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, and later winning the gold medal in the SEA Games 2025.

[RELATED STORY: Yearender: Biggest headlines for Gilas Pilipinas in 2024]

Check out some of the biggest headlines for Gilas this year.

Kai Sotto injury

Year 2025 kicked off on a bad note for Kai Sotto.

Sotto suffered an ACL injury during the Koshigaya Alpha’s Japan B.LEAGUE match against SeaHorses Mikawa.

He is still recovering from the said injury and is projected to return to action in January next year, which would mean 12 months of no basketball action for the 7’3” star center.

[ALSO READ: Kai Sotto gets candid about ACL injury that derailed his best-laid plans]

QMB wins appeal at FIBA

Quentin Millora-Brown filed an appeal at FIBA asking to be categorized him as local after being initially tagged as a naturalized player.

Less than a month later, the former UAAP champion with the UP Fighting Maroons became eligible to play as local, providing an added boost for the Gilas pool.

QMB was quick to suit up for Gilas Pilipinas, making his national team debut in the series against Guam to start the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

[ALSO READ: Newcomer Quentin Millora-Brown aces first test with Gilas Pilipinas]

Chinese Taipei stuns Gilas, twice

After 12 years, Chinese Taipei finally pulled one over Gilas, with the Philippines taking a 91-84 loss during the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.

It was Gilas’ first loss to Chinese Taipei since the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship.

In the FIBA Asia Cup proper months later, Gilas lost to Chinese Taipei again, 95-87. The loss put a dent to the Philippines’ campaign and Gilas Men eventually finished 7th.

A Gilas OG calls it quits

Japeth Aguilar retired from national team duties at the end of the first window of the new FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas honored him before the team’s second clash against Guam at Ateneo, where he played college basketball for a couple of years.

[ALSO READ: Japeth Aguilar is retired from Gilas Pilipinas, but Tim Cone would call him if needed]

Aguilar made his national team debut in 2009 and was part of the original Gilas program under then mentor Rajko Toroman.

[ALSO READ: Japeth Aguilar says FIBA WC Qualifiers Window 1 could be his last for Gilas]

Gilas sets FIBA Asia record

Gilas drubbed Guam in their first ever encounter and etch a new FIBA Asia record in rebounds.

In the 87-46 rout of Guam in the first window of the World Cup Qualifiers, the Philippines set a new Asian record of 61 rebounds.

Fajardo, QMB, and AJ Edu combined for 28 rebounds.

[ALSO READ: Gilas Pilipinas set new record for most rebounds in a FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers game]

Juan GDL back in Gilas pool

To the delight of most fans, Converge rookie Juan Gomez de Liaño got a Gilas call up.

This after Juan took the league by storm, putting up a triple double in his first PBA game. He even posted a career-high 32 points against Ginebra, whose coach Tim Cone also calls the shots for the national team.

Cone then announced the spitfire guard was now part of the national team pool.

[ALSO READ: Juan GDL yet to master Cone's triangle: 'Still getting familiar with the system’]

Boatwright and company’s naturalization

The road to becoming a naturalized Filipino got going anew for Bennie Boatwright after it hit a snag early this year.

Boatwright attended the hearing in Congress with regard to his naturalization process last November, joined by Malick Diouf and Elizabeth Means.

[ALSO READ: Gilas: Bennie Boatwright to attend hearing on naturalization]

Gilas SEAG conquest

While Gilas Men retained the gold medal, the struggle began even before the Southeast Asian Games started in Thailand.

Rules on eligibility constantly changed, which severely limited the already-thin Gilas pool for the biennial meet.

Still, the Gilas squad led by Jamie Malonzo, Robert Bolick, Ray Parks, Matthew Wright, and Thirdy Ravena overcame all adversities to hoist the gold medal at the expense of the host team.

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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.