Rhayyan Amsali will not be suiting up for San Beda for the upcoming NCAA season.
The 21-year-old native of Zamboanga has notified the Red Lions on Friday evening that he is taking a sabbatical from basketball to reconnect with his Islamic faith.
His adviser Marvin Espiritu and Red Lions team manager Jude Roque confirmed the development to Tiebreaker Times.
“Nagpaalam lang siya sa akin and told me that he has already talked to Coach Yuri [Escueta] about his plans,” said Espiritu.
“He wants to reconnect with his Islamic faith and take Islamic studies.”
Amsali, 21, committed to San Beda back in February of 2020, along with fellow Red Cubs Tony Ynot, Justine Sanchez, and Yukien Andrada.
In his freshman season, the 6-foot-4 winger averaged 5.08 points and 3.25 rebounds in 12 games.
Coming from a religious family, Espiritu shared that the bubble setup took its toll on Amsali.
Amsali has yet to play for San Beda in its preseason tournaments, including the PinoyLiga Cup and the Filoil Ecooil Preason Cup.
Espiritu said that Amsali has yet to plan what’s next in his basketball career.
And during this break from the game, he is hoping that Amsali can find the fire that made him one of the top prospects in the land.
“Everything is still open for him,” he said.
“Hopefully, he can find his passion with this break he is taking from basketball.”
