THE Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) is now doing everything it can to bring home 7-foot-3 Zachary “Kai” Sotto for the third window of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asian Cup Qualifiers set from February 18 to 22 in a Clark bubble.
In response to Sotto’s latest Instagram post last Thursday reiterating his desire to play for Gilas Pilipinas, SBP Special Assistant to the President Ryan Gregorio told BusinessMirror that they are now working closely with his management team, East West Private, to bring him home the promising center.
But the SBP, Gregorio said, need to hurdle travel restrictions because of the outbreak of the Covid-19 variant.
Sotto needs to complete a 14-day quarantine once he comes home.
“We are working closely with his management team,” Gregorio said. “We will know in the next few days—a lot of moving parts.”
Sotto will also sacrifice his debut with the Ignite team in the National Basketball Association (NBA) G League which starts February in the Disney bubble in Florida.
The Gilas Pilipinas pool composed of cadets and Philippine Basketball Association players are presently training at the Inspire Sports Academy bubble in Calamba under SBP Program Director Tab Baldwin.
Gregorio said he is expecting TNT’s Roger Pogoy and Troy Rosario and NLEX’s Raul Soyud to join the bubble on Friday. So Far, CJ Perez of Terrafirma, Kiefer Ravena of NLEX and Justine Chua of Phoenix are already in the bubble.
The men’s national team will face South Korea on February 18, Indonesia on February 20 and South Korea again on February 22 in the window.