MANILA, Philippines — It is unlikely that young Gilas stud Dwight Ramos will suit up in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Belgrade, Serbia.
This was the update provided by Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tab Baldwin on Wednesday (early Thursday morning, Manila time) after their 83-76 loss against Serbia.
Related Stories
"I don't think Dwight's going to be ready tomorrow," Baldwin said.
"He's got a groin injury, some muscle strain and we didn't think it was serious in the beginning and it just hasn't responded at all," he added.
Ramos went into the sickbay after playing heavy minutes in the third window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers in Pampanga in late June.
He already did not play in the team's tuneup game against China prior to leaving for Belgrade, but it seemed that the rest wasn't enough for the incoming Ateneo star.
Baldwin even said that it looked like that Ramos was worse off than he was prior to leaving for the OQT.
"After the flight it was worse... you never know with groin muscles how they will respond and we don't want to take a chance of that recurring," said Baldwin.
Opting to prioritize Ramos' health and the importance of the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup in Indonesia set August, Baldwin isn't going to take any chances.
"We have a big tournament coming up in August and we need him fully fit," said Baldwin.
"He can't play right now and we certainly don't want to rush him," he added.
Gilas plays the Dominican Republic next in the OQT on Thursday (early Friday morning, Manila time) in must-win situation to advance in the tournament.