After a fourth-place finish in the 38th William Jones Cup last May, where he was seldomly used, all eyes are on Kobe Paras once more as he will suit up for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
This will be the 19-year-old’s first-ever experience of playing in the biennial regional meet, which will run until August 31. And the versatile six-foot-six forward could not be more excited for the opportunity.
“I’m really excited to go to SEA Games,” said the second-generation cager.
“[But] Not just for basketball, but to support our fellow Filipinos. I can’t wait to watch soccer, I can’t wait to watch volleyball, and all the other sports.”
However, along with the excitement comes the challenge not just for Paras, but for the Filipino dribblers as well. The pressure is on the youthful Gilas Cadets to snag the Philippines’ 18th gold medal in basketball.
But for the Cal State-Northridge Matador, his SEAG stint goes beyond winning another gold medal. For him, he hopes that whenever Gilas takes the court, their compatriots back home will unite and stand as one behind them.
“Basketball is a sport that can unite everyone kasi ang dami nang nangyayari sa Pilipinas, so I truly believe that sports in general is a great way to unite people,” Paras said. “I play for my country and strictly for mga kababayan natin lalo na sa Marawi.
“Basta para sa bayan, gagawin ko lahat.”
