Although Kai Sotto already returned to action for Koshigaya in the Japan B.LEAGUE, he has yet to fully heal from the ACL injury he suffered early last year.
It looks like fans will have to wait a little longer before seeing Kai Sotto rock the Gilas Pilipinas threads again.
A story published on the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas website stated that Sotto's availability for the second window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers remains uncertain.
“At this point, we will take what he can give us and play the long game with him. We don’t want to assume or preempt anything with him until we have had more conversations with him and his handler,” said Gilas coach Tim Cone in the same article.
Sotto suffered an ACL injury in the Koshigaya Alphas' game in the Japan B.LEAGUE in January 2025.
While the 7-foot-3 beanpole already returned to action with the Alphas this month, he has yet to play for the national team.
At this point, Gilas needs Sotto the most as they are set to lock horns with Oceania powerhouses New Zealand and Australia in the upcoming window.
The Filipino ballers will host the Tall Blacks first on Feb. 26, before challenging unbeaten Australia three days later, both at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
As desperate as they are to get the services of the Gilas centerpiece, Cone clarified they are after Sotto’s “long-term health.”
“We want to make sure we get this right. Obviously, he is crucial to our success in the coming window, but his long-term health is also crucial to our overall program leading up to the World Cup and beyond,” he said.
Gilas begins training on Feb. 16.
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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.