NONTHABURI ( FIBA U18 Asian Championship) - Dalph Panopio has been waiting for this moment for a long time.

"I hope to receive a call from the Philippines national team one day. Me and my family would love that more than anything," said Panopio back in late 2016. 

The plans for getting the prized playmaker from Italy to play for the Philippines had been in the works for a while already and the dream is going to become a reality this August at the FIBA U18 Asian Championship in Thailand.

Panopio’s path to the Philippines National Team early in his career has been highly intriguing – albeit a bit unconventional. The 6’1” point guard was born in Rome and has spent most of his life there so far but traces his Filipino roots through both of his parents. Therefore, Panopio can speak fluently in the Filipino tongue and didn’t have trouble communicating with the U18 National Team when he joined them for practice just short of one month before the start of the tournament. 

The adjustments Panopio have had to make so far has been on adapting to the style of play of his teammates. 

"It's different here [in the Philippines]," Panopio told ESPN5 after a practice session. "It's more physical. But I want to experience this so I can be of help to the national team." 

It comes to no surprise that Panopio need to get used to the way to play in the Philippines as the basketball there is known for being a bit more physical compared to other places. The 18-year-old has spent his entire youth playing basketball in Italy for Stellazzurra Basketball Academy, garnering multiple accolades highlighted with a U15 National Championship back in 2015. Panopio has shown that he can play at a high-level in a highly competitive environment, but now he’ll have to prove himself again when he makes his much anticipated National Team debut. 

The Philippines find themselves in a relatively strong group in the Qualifying Phase of the FIBA U18 Asian Championship with China, Lebanon, and United Arab Emirates. They have assembled a strong core combining key players such as Kai Sotto from the FIBA U17 World Championship with overseas-based players like AJ Edu and, of course, Dalph Panopio.

As one of the tallest Philippines youth team ever fielded combined with a strong backcourt helmed by Panopio, the Philippines are aiming at a Top 4 finish, which would guarantee a ticket to the FIBA U19 World Championship.

FIBA