Batang Gilas starts quest for 4th SEABA U16 title

MANILA, Philippines – Six-foot-11 young teen player Kai Sotto and his teammates, the tallest Philippine boys team ever assembled, finally show their ware Sunday, tangling with Singapore to start the country’s title defense in the under-16 category of the 2017 SEABA Championships at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Phl boys, undefeated in the first three editions of the SEABA U16 event, are determined to keep their domination of the tourney where they’re up against Singapore and three other challengers in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

The Philippines and Singapore clash at 12 noon after the 10 a.m. opener between Malaysia and Indonesia.

Like its senior counterpart Gilas Pilipinas, Batang Gilas isn’t taking the SEABA U16 Championship for granted, hoping to make good use of the event to help them prime up for a crack at the FIBA Under-17 World Cup next year.

“We’ll play our best each game. We have an easier road to make the FIBA Asia than Gilas since the top three in SEABA Under-16 qualify to the FIBA Asia. But the main target is to be in the top three in FIBA Asia to qualify to the world championship,” said Batang Gilas team manager Andrew Teh.

In Cagayan de Oro in 2015, Batang Gilas routed eventual runner-up Malaysia, 106-69; dumped Thailand, 105-48; thrashed Brunei, 113-31; and waylaid Indonesia, 106-50.

The Phl boys, however, have made a podium finish in FIBA Asia just once in 2013 in Tehran when they placed second to China. Thus, they advanced to the world meet where they placed 15th out of 16 participants in Dubai in 2014.

Sotto, 6-foot-7 Shaun Geoffrey Chiu of PACE, 6-foot-6 Raven Angelo Cortez of La Salle-Zobel and 6-foot-5 John Bismark Lina of UST lead the tall Phl boys team tapped to chase a quest for a return stint in the world joust.

Completing the roster of coach Mike Oliver are Recaredo Christian Calimag of San Beda, John Terrence Fortea of NU, Rafael Go of Chiang Kai Shek, Mclaude Guadana of Lyceum, Joshua Rafael Lazaro of San Beda, Rence Keith Sean Padrigao of Ateneo, Jose Miguel Pascual of San Beda and Miguel Roy Luis Tan of Xavier.

Six-foot-9 Fil-Aussie Ethan Kirkness is out of the lineup as he’s only 15 and still raw.

 “He’s moved over to the US as he’s recruited by a school in North Carolina. But he’s still committed to the program,” said Teh. “Where he is right now is better for us and for him. It’s good for his development. We don’t need to rush him as he’s only 15.”

Teh is excited about the future once Kirkness improves and gets to team up with Sotto and 6-foot-7 Fil-Nigerian wingman AJ Edu.