After nearly a year, Kai Sotto finally made his much-anticipated return to the Philippine basketball hardcourt in Gilas Pilipinas’ 23-point rout of Ivory Coast in a tune-up game held at the Philsports Arena last Friday.
Sotto’s last appearance in Philippine colors was in the Nationals’ lopsided 84-46 victory over Saudi Arabia, where he contributed 16 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocked shots during the second round of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers at the Mall of Asia Arena on August 29, 2022.
“It feels good. Home is home.
“Every time I play sa bansa ko sobrang happy ako. Walang pressure, sobrang enjoy lang and ayun, it’s good to be home,” said the 7-foot-3 big man during PUMA Philippines’ Our Ball Above All event at the Glorietta 4 on Saturday.
In his first game back following a back injury he sustained during his stint with the Orlando Magic in the 2023 NBA Summer League, Sotto contributed 12 points, four rebounds, and two assists to help Gilas secure an 85-62 victory over the 42nd-ranked team in the world.
The former Adelaide and Hiroshima big man missed almost the entirety of Gilas’ preparation for the World Cup due to the injury.
Sotto was absent when the Nationals traveled to Estonia and Lithuania for a series of friendlies and was eventually unable to join the team’s participation in the Heyuan WUS International Basketball Tournament in China.
The 21-year-old Sotto is in a race against time as he strives to regain his competitive form. He will have the opportunity to do so as Gilas is set to compete against Montenegro and Mexico just days before the World Cup opening.
