MANILA, Philippines – AJ Edu missed the feeling of donning the Gilas Pilipinas jersey.
So no matter how rocky his national team return has been, Edu could not feel anything but joy that he gets to represent the country again after missing action for over a year.
The 6-foot-10 big man played in all three games in the recently concluded Doha International Cup in Qatar and is expected to be a key piece for the Nationals in the third and final window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers this February.
“For me, it’s been a long time coming,” Edu told One Sports. “As tough as it was…despite the games not going our way, the biggest thing I got out of it was just the joy of being able to play the game for the country.”
“All glory to God for that.”
Before his stint in Qatar, Edu last suited up for the Philippines in its hosting of the FIBA World Cup in 2023 as a string of injuries kept him out of national team action.
He sustained a knee injury in December 2023 and missed the first window of the Asia Cup Qualifiers in February 2024 and the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in July 2024.
Set for a comeback in the second window of the Asia Cup Qualifiers in November, Edu hurt his knee again just days before the games.
The Doha Cup marked the first time Edu played under head coach Tim Cone as he averaged 6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in the three games that saw the Philippines beat Qatar and lose to Lebanon and Egypt.
“It’s been a good experience, definitely tough,” said Edu. “It’s a blessing to be able to travel. It’s a blessing to be able to represent the country.”
Edu assumes bigger responsibility as the Nationals miss the services of Kai Sotto, who has been ruled out of the Asia Cup in August after suffering a knee injury.
With Edu back, Gilas — toting a 4-0 record in Group B — shoots for a sweep of the Asia Cup Qualifiers as it faces Chinese Taipei and New Zealand in a pair of road games on February 20 and 23, respectively. – Rappler.com