6’9″ Fil-Australian Teenager Might Be Training With Batang Gilas
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) is planning to bring a 6’9″ Fil-Australian teenager Ethan Kirkness to train with the Batang Gilas players.
The promising 14-year-old will be having a school vacation in December the holidays, long enough to have celebrations with his family and friends in the Philippines, as well as to test his skills against other Filipino ballers.
Ethan Kirkness’ father was an Australian while his mother was a Filipina.
“We’re planning to bring him to Manila for a five-week training camp this December, by which time mahaba ‘yung vacation niya from school,” said Batang Gilas team manager Andrew Teh as reported by Spin.ph.
According to Teh, he already watched Kirkness train under ex-National Basketball League (NBL) player Greg Fox. Fox was one of Gold Coast’s most accomplished players.
Teh said that the 14-year-old Kirkness improved a lot compared from the first time he has seen him.
“But siyempre, medyo raw pa yung bata (But, of course, the kid is a bit raw). He’s still 14 years old, although the potential is really there.”
While in Australia, Teh had the opportunity to present the no. 51 Batang Gilas jersey to Kirkness.
Teh added that the SBP is already processing the filing for the Fiba accreditation of Kirkness for a possibility to include him in the Batang Gilas U-16 pool.
If Kirkness would be accredited to play, he will be playing together with another 6’9″ Fil-Nigerian AJ Edu. Edu was born in Cyprus but is now based in the United Kingdom.
His mother, the former Josie Litang, was a native of Surigao.
The Batang Gilas is the younger version of the men’s National basketball team of the Philippines, Gilas Pilipinas.
What do you think of the addition of Ethan Kirkness to the Batang Gilas pool? Would it mean that the team will be stronger in the coming Fiba games?