It has been more than 75 days since Gilas Pilipinas set foot on a basketball court for the first qualifying window of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.The Philippines didn’t have Kai Sotto then as he continued to recover from a torn left ACL back in January 2025, but they nonetheless cruised past the Jericho Cruz-led Guam squad during those two games. 

Unfortunately for Gilas, though, they will have to wait a bit longer before Sotto returns to national team duty.  

Call it ban. View as an extended in-season recovery period. Regardless of where you side, there will be no Sotto for Gilas Pilipinas at least for this campaign. Sotto is reportedly set to fly back to Manila for a quick vacation before returning to Japan, but he will sit out the games against New Zealand and Australia.  

There will likely be a meeting between Sotto and Gilas just to touch base, but it would have been better if Sotto joined the group during the buildup and for the games themselves even if he won’t suit up. Simply being there will help him get back into the order of things and refamiliarize himself with the schemes of head coach Tim Cone and the rest of the Philippines’ coaching staff. Being able to bond with teammates both new and old will also be beneficial for team chemistry. 

But then again, it’s understandable that the practical decision is to quickly return to the Koshigaya Alphas. The Alphas have taken care of Sotto since he got injured during Koshigaya’s 79–77 loss to the SeaHorses Mikawa back on January 5, 2025. Perhaps they’re monitoring his return to play, which he marked by ticking off a milestone. 

Sotto has been ramping up his activity, as after a combined 31 minutes in his first two games back from injury, the 23-year old has been averaging 29.5 minutes per game in the next six games. The flashes of dominance are turning into consistent performances, and the Alphas are hoping that Sotto’s body responds well to the increased activity and thus can handle the rigors of a long basketball season. 

The current B.League season is expected to run until May if the Koshigaya Alphas make the finals, so if all goes according to plan, Kai Sotto could join Gilas Pilipinas for the next qualifying window in July. Unless of course, the NBA comes calling for Sotto once again. 

That’s why Sotto returning during this upcoming window would have been perfect timing as he could help the Philippines try to get the wins at home and take their chances (with or without him) during the away games. 

But Gilas can only play with the cards they are dealt with and perhaps it’s an opportunity for the others to step up and work towards further building up depth. 

Kai Sotto skipping the second window of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers could benefit him and Gilas Pilipinas in the long run.