THE door had closed, but Baser Amer saw a window of opportunity for him to never lose hope and eventually make his dream a reality.
Among the last cuts to the Gilas Cadet squad bound for the Southeast Asian Games, the San Beda star received a last-minute call-up, along with La Salle forward Prince Rivero, after the sudden departure of Ray Parks and late scratch of Russell Escoto.
“It’s a dream come true to finally be able to represent the Philippines in an international competition,” Amer said in a chat with Spin.ph. “I dreamt of this moment since I started playing basketball. And now it’s a few weeks away.”
Part of the 16-man cadet pool, the 22-year-old Davao native last month was excluded in the final 12 that will don the country’s colors in the biennial showpiece in Singapore starting June 5.
But Amer’s commitment was unwavering as coach Tab Baldwin still included him in training the last month.
“May hope pa rin naman ako kasi nag-practice pa rin ako,” Amer said, relieved upon hearing the news. “I always stated positive kasi nga dream ko yun.”
Now, the unflappable playmaker will try to return to favor to the Kiwi-American mentor as he joins NCAA rivals Scottie Thompson of Perpetual Help and Arellano’s Jiovani Jalalon in the backcourt rotation.
“I’m humbled by coach Tab’s faith and trust in me,” Amer said. “Rest, me and my teammates will work hard to bring honor and glory to our country.”
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