MANILA – Ilonggo Kiefer Ravena will not be part of the Gilas Pilipinas team that will compete in the fifth window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers slated later this week.
The Shiga Lakestars reinforcement begged off from national men’s basketball team duties for the upcoming window after undergoing emergency dental procedure just recently.
The 29-year-old Ravena reportedly experienced severe pain and fever due to an infected impacted right mandibular third molar. Recovery time post-surgery takes three to five days.
The former Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles star was the fourth member of Vincent “Chot” Reyes’ pool to beg off due to injury aside from June Mar Fajardo (post-throat surgery recovery), Chris Newsome (calf), and Carl Tamayo (ankle).
Reyes has already trimmed down the Gilas Pilipinas pool for the upcoming window to 13 players after removing NorthPort Batang Pier’s Arvin Tolentino and William Navarro and Francis “Lebron” Lopez.
Bannering the 14-player pool of Gilas Pilipinas were naturalized center Angelo Kouame of Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles as well as fellow UAAP player Kevin Quiambao of De La Salle University Green Archers.
Also part of the roster were overseas-based Filipino cagers in Kai Sotto of Adelaide 36ers in Australia, and Japan B.League’s Thirdy Ravena (San-En NeoPhoenix), Bobby Ray Parks Jr. (Nagoya) and Dwight Ramos (Hokkaido).
The PBA stars who were included in the pool are Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings’ Earl Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar and Jamie Malonzo; TNT Tropang Giga’s Roger Pogoy, Calvin Oftana, and John Paul Erram and San Miguel Beermen’s Jaymar Perez.
The national men’s basketball team currently have an even 3-3 slate in Pool E with two victories against India and Saudi Arabia and defeats against New Zealand twice and Lebanon.
Gilas Pilipinas will take on Jordan (3-3) on November 11 at 12 midnight in Amman before next facing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (1-5) at 12 midnight on November 14 at their homecourt./PN
