Levanga Hokkaido guard Dwight Ramos is a believer in Coach Tim Cone’s decision to bring in Troy Rosario for Gilas Pilipinas.
Count Dwight Ramos among the biggest believers of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel forward Troy Rosario, who got the call-up to join the national team pool ahead of the final window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers next month.
Following the injury to Gilas big man Kai Sotto which is expected to sideline him for a year, Rosario is set to pick up the pieces. UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao also suffered a setback in his professional debut in South Korea.
[RELATED: Kevin Quiambao sidelined for 4 weeks due to ankle injury — Reports]
“Prayers to Kai, he’s a huge part of the team and he’s gonna come back better for sure. But Coach Tim is bringing Troy in, I’ve played with him before on the national team and even though he’s not like the tallest guy, but he works really hard.” said Ramos on an interview on
One News' Play By Play.
“He plays hard and that’s really what you need from that position.”
[RELATED: Kai Sotto describes ACL tear as "darkest day" of basketball career]
Rosario will be joining Gilas in Doha where they are set to train for the final set of games in February where they face New Zealand and Chinese Taipei.
Though already assured of a spot in the tournament after promising results last November, Gilas is seeking a sweep of the final window for better seeding in the main draw.
Despite setbacks on the players’ health, Ramos believes that Rosario’s experience will be pivotal.
[RELATED: Troy Rosario set for Gilas Pilipinas pool return, Tim Cone confirms]
Rosario has had experience in the FIBA World Cup, the Southeast Asian Games, and Asian Qualifiers in his previous years with the national team. It’s been almost three years since he last suited up for the team, being part of the silver-medal winning team in the SEA Games in Vietnam in 2022.
“It’s gonna be good to see Troy there and it’s good to see him back in the Gilas uniform again,” he said.