Gilas Pilipinas’ FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers campaign seems to have taken one step forward but two steps back.
On Wednesday, several reports said Bennie Boatwright has obtained his Philippine passport, the last requirement he needs to be eligible to play for the national team. This means that Boatwright can finally play for Gilas Pilipinas in the fifth window on November 27-29 in Malaysia, where the Philippines will take on Syria first and then Iran.
That is, of course, if Tim Cone opts to finally get Boatwright onboard and give him a chance, as resident naturalized player Justin Brownlee continues to be out for health reasons.
The Kai Sotto Conundrum
Boatwright’s naturalization is the one step forward. The two steps back is refer to Kai Sotto’s uncertain status for November.
According to veteran sports scribe Quinito Henson, Sotto’s status for the fifth window is still up in the air due to a knee issue that has sidelined him in the Japan B.League.
“We don’t know yet, and we’re waiting to see how his knee is getting better. No confirmed details, and we’ll have to wait,” Henson quoted Tony Ronzone as saying. Ronzone is the Filipino big man’s agent.
Kai Sotto, who sustained an ACL tear in January 2025, is playing for Altiri Chiba in the B.League but has played only two games. He missed Chiba’s first two games of the season and its last six as of this writing. In his two games, Sotto put up 12.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 27.0 minutes a contest. The 24-year-old has been shelved indefinitely due to what Altiri describes as “poor physical condition” but is still traveling with the team and sitting on the bench during games.
Where Does Gilas Stand?
Ahead of the fifth window, Gilas Pilipinas sits fifth in Group E with an even 4-4 record after escaping Jordan and beating Iran in the fourth window held in Manila.
The goal is to finish in the top three in Group E or be the best fourth-place finisher in either bracket. That means if the qualifiers ended today, the Philippines wouldn’t make it to the FIBA World Cup in Qatar next year.
Needless to say, the fifth window is crucial for Gilas Pilipinas’ World Cup hopes, and those hopes could fade away for good if Kai Sotto misses out yet again.
