AJ Edu to lead Gilas Pilipinas as Kai Sotto remains injured

AJ Edu will likely carry more responsibility for Gilas Pilipinas as star player Kai Sotto remains out due to a knee injury that he sustained in January during a Japan B.League game.

Sotto has been sidelined since undergoing surgery, while June Mar Fajardo also deals with a minor injury, leaving Edu to step up in the frontcourt.

Edu expressed his readiness to anchor the middle for Gilas during the upcoming 2025 FIBA Asia Cup and emphasized that it will take the whole team to make up for Sotto's absence.

During Gilas' jersey launch on Thursday, July 10, Edu highlighted the need for the team to step up in the absence of key players and conveyed his excitement about representing the country again.

The Philippines is grouped with Chinese Taipei, New Zealand, and Iraq in Group D at the tournament, which they will depart for at the end of the month.