MANILA – Negrense center Kobe Demisana has been selected to be part of the Gilas Pilipinas team that will compete in the FIBA U-18 Asian Championship from Aug. 21 to 28 in Tehran, Iran.
The Pontevedra, Negros Occidental big man was one of the 12 players of the national youth basketball team that will be handled by TNT Tropang Giga assistant coach Josh Reyes.
This will be the 6-foot-8 Demisana’s first time to wear the Philippine tricolors in the international basketball scene after being previously picked as Philippine representative in Jr. NBA.
Demisana was a former Bacolod Tay Tung High School Thunderbolts standout before he was pried away by the University of the Philippines Integrated School Junior Maroons.
The Negrense has yet to play for the Junior Maroons in the UAAP boys basketball tournament due to the cancellation of the season because of the coronavirus disease 2019.
Demisana, however, showed vast improvement after joining the practice of the UP Fighting Maroons collegiate basketball team the past few months.
“This is a huge opportunity for me to represent the country and I credit my UP Fighting Maroons kuyas for giving me pointers and helping me in my development,” Demisana said.
Also in the Gilas U-18 team were De La Salle University Green Archers’ Mur Alas, EJ Abadam and Seven Gagate and Ateneo Blue Eagles recruits Kyle Gamber and Mason Amos.
Completing the squad were James Nacua, Joshua Coronel, Luis Pablo, Ethan Alian and LA Andres, who was trained by Bacolodnon Eugene Opu-an in Dubai.
The Philippine U18 boys basketball team was bracketed with Syria, Chinese-Taipei and Qatar in Group C of the week-long competition./PN
