Less than a day after rumors swirled that he is about to be shipped by the Globalport Batang Pier, Terrence Romeo’s status with SMART Gilas Pilipinas for the upcoming FIBA World Cup Qualifiers might be in shambles due to health reasons.
Multiple sources have told Tiebreaker Times that Romeo is being hounded by problems in his right knee, and it requires enough attention that he might miss the qualifiers this November, when Gilas will face Japan and Taiwan, respectively.
“Baka wala na (for the qualifiers),” said the source.
“Mag-the-therapy raw siya.”
The 2015 FIBA Asia silver medalist has been dealing with issues in his right knee since last August, after his campaign with the Nationals in the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup in Beirut, Lebanon, where the team finished seventh. He averaged 17.8 points in the tournament.
The former Far Eastern University ace reported to Gilas this past Monday, but begged off participating in the drills according to another source. He returned to the workouts on Tuesday in practice gear, but once again sat on the sidelines.
The month of November clearly isn’t favoring the 5-foot-11 combo guard. The Philippine Daily Inquirer broke the news on Tuesday that Romeo’s days as a Batang Pier are about to end.
The trade with the Meralco Bolts is still in its early stages.
If ever Romeo will not make it in the Qualifiers, then Gilas’ campaign will take yet another big blow, considering that he has solidified his status as one of the best Filipino guards thanks to his impressive showings in the Asia Cup.
