Dwight Ramos has been in the Gilas program since 2021.
During that time, he has experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.
Who could ever forget the memorable run the young Gilas team had during the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers?
But there was also a dark time in the program when the Philippines was crushed during its hosting of the FIBA World Cup 2023.
“For the longest time, we always won the games we should, and we always lost the games we shouldn’t have won,” recalled Ramos to FIBA.basketball.
The FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 in Riga has seen a huge leap in the program.
Under the watch of Tim Cone, Gilas proved that it can be world-class.
A stunning 89-80 victory over world No. 6 Latvia proved that Gilas belonged. Then a gallant 90-92 defeat to No. 23 Georgia showed the world what the Filipino spirit is all about.
“But this time around, we’re finally making strides, hanging tough with the teams, and beating teams we shouldn’t,” he added.
“I think it’s a great feeling, and the progress we’ve been making over the years, I’m glad to be a part of it from the beginning!”
Ramos, who plays for B.League team Hokkaido, has been instrumental in this magical run of Gilas.
The 6-foot-4 do-it-all guard is averaging 14.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.
Unlike past iterations of Gilas, Ramos believes that he and the team are no longer intimidated when facing taller opponents or large leads.
“That’s just the fight in our team, we just kept going. We knew what it took to get to the next round, and we battled until we got there,” he said.
(c) FIBA.basketball
Now, Gilas is just two games away from ending a 52-year Olympic drought.
Though feeling the immense pressure, Ramos stressed that they can’t let it take over in the final stage of the OQT.
“It’s a big thing. I’m not sure how long it’s been since we’ve been in this position. I’m glad it’s this team and we’re feeling good,” he said.
“We’ve got to keep going.”
