No ‘Saint’ Dwight for Gilas in Asian Games

Gilas Pilipinas guard Dwight Ramos is skipping the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China this month as the sweet-shooting Filipino-American is set to rejoin Hokkaido Levanga to prepare for the upcoming Japan B.League season.

Dwight Ramos PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIO

Ramos concluded his Gilas stint with 11 points as he helped the national team score a runaway 96-75 demolition of China to close their 2023 FIBA World Cup campaign on a winning note.

“It's a really great experience, it's my first World Cup and I'm gonna take all these games, all these players I've played against and had to guard and hopefully it helps me have a great B.League season this year. That's what I'm hoping for,” Ramos told media men shortly after Gilas' 21-point rout of the many-time Asian basketball king at the Big Dome.

Ramos, who celebrated his 25th birthday on the day Gilas clobbered China, is approaching the new B.League season with renewed confidence.

“It feels good. There's a lot of good players, high-level basketball, and I'm coming into the B.League season with a lot of confidence and it should be good,” he beamed.

The 6-foot-4 Ramos said he's happy to know as well that Gilas' victory enabled the Philippines to secure a slot in the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

“I don't think anyone's really thinking about that (OQT) right now but obviously that's a good thing and at least we still have a chance,” shared Ramos, who averaged 13.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists for Gilas in his first World Cup stint.

“It's better to have a chance than to have no chance after that. So we got the win and hopefully we get to that OQT.”

Ramos intends to celebrate the triumphant Gilas finish with his family before making his way back to Japan.