PASAY CITY (Philippines) - Dwight Ramos has yet to miss a game in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers and that speaks volumes on how willing he has always been in answering the call of duty.
Every time I play for Gilas, it feels like the most important game of my career.
Since making his Gilas debut in 2020, the 27-year-old guard has become a constant presence in the program. He has, in fact, played under a total of 3 coaches in the 6 years he's spent with the men's team thus far.
The people at the helm have changed, some of his brothers-in-arms have come and gone, yet he remains loyal and committed to flag and country. And the reason he does it isn't really that deep, as some would think.
"Every time I play for Gilas, it feels like the most important game of my career," Ramos told ESPN Philippines' Miguel Caramoan. "So that's why I keep coming back because there's no feeling like playing for Gilas."
Rarely absent
The seasoned internationalist first made his Team Philippines debut during the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers just before the pandemic. He'd since become a fixture, so much so that his absences could be counted on one hand.
According to available records, Ramos has worn a total of 40 senior caps in FIBA competitions thus far. The only times he had to beg off and support his fellow Filipino dribblers from afar was because of injuries.
A groin injury forced him to sit out the OQT in 2021. Shin splints derailed his plans of playing in the 2022 Asia Cup. Knee and calf issues ruled him out of their bout with Hong Kong, China during the 2025 Asia Cup Qualifiers.
Otherwise, he makes it a point to come back home and play for Gilas Men, which was exactly what he did for Window 4 that starts this week, set to suit up for a team that won't have Justin Brownlee in the fold.
For starters, their resident reinforcement isn't healthy enough to play due to the various leg injuries that prevented him from playing at his best in the previous window, leaving the locals to do it by themselves this time.
Ramos has been named to Coach Tim Cone's 12-man roster for the August 27-31 games, and this particular set of matches against Jordan and Iran may bear some more weight, not just because Brownlee isn't around.
But also because Window 4 could possibly be the swan song of long-time Gilas pillar June Mar Fajardo.
Future vanguard
The 3-time World Cup campaigner is intending to retire from international basketball as he is already at 36 years old, similar to what one of his closest pals in Japeth Aguilar did back in the opening window last November.
So, that's another source of motivation for the younger ones to perform the best they could, and perhaps another reminder for Ramos and his peers that their responsibilities shall become bigger if 'Abai' does call it quits.
But surely, nothing would change for the Levanga Hokkaido star, as far as commitment is concerned. He'd want to remain as committed as he can be, just like what Fajardo and their other Philippines seniors were.
“I really look up to June Mar, and also Japeth, just for the amount of years that they were able to play for Gilas. It’s just really something special," said Ramos, who's currently in his 8th FIBA campaign.
"For us young guys, it’s coming to a time where it’s our turn to take the torch that they have been carrying for so long. We’re trying to follow the footsteps that they led for us,” the California-born hooper furthered.
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