Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
    View Today
    Sun, Nov 5

    Fit-again AJ Edu vows to never, ever turn his back on Gilas

    Fil-Nigerian got injured on Gilas duty, but assures that hasn't dampened his desire to play for flag and country
    May 28, 2020
    PHOTO: Fiba.com

    AJ Edu will never, ever turn his back on flag and country despite the misfortune he suffered while donning the Batang Gilas Pilipinas jersey a year ago.

    The 20-year-old Fil-Nigerian said he’s more than willing to represent the country again once he fully recovers from the ACL and meniscus tears on his right knee.

    Edu went down with the injury right in the first few minutes of the Filipinos’ opening game in the FIBA Under-19 World Cup against host Greece last year.

    The 6-foot-10 Edu has since undergone surgery and is almost done with his rehabilitation, although the nine-month layoff made him miss his sophomore year playing for University of Toledo.

    Nonetheless, he remains in high spirits and vowed he’ll continue to honor his service to the national team.

    “My willingness to play for the national team will never change,” Edu stressed in a chat with SPIN.ph. “Obviously, I was unfortunate with the injury last year, but there is no greater honor than representing your country.

    “I do have to focus on getting my college career back on track after the injury so it may not be any time soon, but when the opportunity arises again, I can’t wait.”

    ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓

    Edu is part of the 23-man Gilas pool initially listed by former national team coach Chot Reyes for the 2023 FIBA World Cup which the country is co-hosting.

    He’s one of the eight bigs identified by Reyes for the pool along with NBA G League-bound Kai Sotto, Isaac Go, Carl Vincent Tamayo, Troy Rike, Kenmark Carino, Will Gozum, and Abu Tratter, now with Alaska in the PBA.

    The son of Nigerian Ayotunde Edu and Filipina Josie Litang was born in Cyprus, where his father once worked. It was also there where he learned to play the sport.

    But the Edus have since moved to UK, where the family is currently based.

    And yet, it was the homeland of his mother which AJ chose to represent despite being on the radar of UK, Cyprus, and even Nigerian basketball programs.

    CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓
    Watch Now

    Edu said it wasn’t a decision that’s difficult to make.

    “It’s a simple as the passion (in basketball) that they have in the Philippines. Compared to Nigeria, Cyprus, or even in the UK, basketball is not really much of an interest to the general population [there] like in the Philippines,” he said.

    “I just have seen how much they (Filipinos) love basketball. I was thinking about how I would love to represent those people, people who have similar passion for basketball like me,” added Edu, a Dean’s Lister at Toledo.

    “It was a simple decision, really not much difficulty,” he stressed. “Ultimately, I believe it was the right decision.”

    MORE FROM SPIN
    MORE FROM SPIN

      Since he still has to make a full recovery, Edu has been locked down in Ohio, Toledo following the global outbreak of the pandemic.

      He admitted feeling sorry to see the 2020 NCAA season got totally cancelled.

      “I was definitely very schocked by it. We were about to play our first conference tournament game when we had to all of a sudden pack our bags and go back home,” he said.

      ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓

      “I felt sorry most of all to our seniors Willie Jackson and Luke Knapke because they didn’t get to end their careers in the way that they deserved.”

      Unlike him who still have a good playing years left for the Rockets. And definitely, a lot of good playing years ahead for the Gilas program.

      Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph

      Read Next
      Watch Now
      Sorry, no results found for
      PHOTO: Fiba.com
    • POLL

      • Quiz

        Quiz Result