JUST last week, Abu Tratter was feeling let down over the way the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) handled his case as a Fil-foreign player.
Now he's on cloud nine.
Tratter has found the perfect tonic after his failed bid to play in the MPBL when he became one of three Gilas cadets to be called up for the Gilas Pilipinas team competing in the upcoming Asian Games.
As an old adage says, when a door closes, a window opens and that's exactly the case now for Tratter.
"I wouldn't say something that I would put on someone's face but it's definitely, when one thing breaks down, God gave me another opportunity to show my skills," said Tratter.
The 6-5 big man said that he was deeply surprised to be called up for the Gilas team alongside eight players from TNT Katropa, naturalized player Andray Blatche and fellow cadets Kobe Paras and Ricci Rivero.
The former La Salle player, who also got a Gilas call-up in the last qualifiers for the 2019 Fiba World Cup, said he will definitely seize the opportunity to showcase his talent before the PBA draft.
"Again, it's not only a surprise but also a blessing. It's another opportunity for me to show my talents especially before the draft," said Tratter. "I'm just going to go out there and try do what I have to do -- work hard and grind through it."
"I wanna bring something new. I just don't wanna show that I can shoot. I want to show that I can also drive, put something new that no one has seen from me. I want to show that I can compete at that level even if I'm not a pro yet."
Most importantly, Tratter is just thankful for the opportunity to represent his flag and country, something that he knows is bigger than himself.
"It's really cool to participate in something bigger than me and it's a big accomplishment for my family, all the Filipinos in my area, all the Filipinos in Siniloan - the place I grew up in. When I come back home, it's something, not that I'll brag about it but something I can mention."
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