Thirdy Ravena called for Gilas Pilipinas team lineup

Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) blue eagle Thirdy Ravena got the surprise of a lifetime last Tuesday, February 19 as Philippine national team head coach Yeng Guiao called him to join the 12-man roster to compete in the 2019 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers that will be facing Qatar on Thursday, February 21 at the Al-Ghafara Sports Club Multi-Purpose Hall in Doha.

In a Facebook post, reacting to the news, Ravena, whose older brother Kiefer previously played for the team, ecstatically shared, “Four years ago, I was just a young kid watching my older brothers play in the FIBA 2015 World Championships on television. Who knew that this would happen,” referring to his post four years ago on Twitter that said it would be a “dream” and an “honor to play for the country.” He added in his most recent statement, “This is all You, Lord. Thank you!”

Last University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) season, Ravena made a name for himself with his back-to-back Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) titles, for his part in leading his team to the top spot of the league for the last two seasons.

The 22-year-old becomes the first collegiate player to ever join the squad, replacing Raymond Almazan who sprained his left ankle last Sunday. He joins naturalized Andray Blatche, June Mar Fajardo, Troy Rosario, Jayson Castro, Paul Lee, Marcio Lassiter, Gabe Norwood, Scottie Thompson, Poy Erram, Mark Barroca, and Japeth Aguilar in the 12-man lineup.

When talking about Ravena’s role on the team, Guiao told CNN Philippines Sports Desk, “His role is going to be a defensive stopper. He’s probably going to guard the best scorer or best shooter on the other side, so that’s a big responsibility.”

Currently, Gilas Pilipinas holds a 5-5 record to stand fourth place in Group F of the international league’s Asian Qualifiers. To advance to the next round in August, they must win both upcoming games against Qatar and Kazakhstan.