AJ Edu doesn’t stop learning despite being sidelined by an ankle injury during Gilas Pilipinas’ training in Estonia and Lithuania.
The 23-year-old Edu told Daily Tribune that their European stint served as a good avenue for him to learn from veteran teammates June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar.
“It was nice to watch and learn from the experience of the players, particularly the big men in Japeth and June Mar,” Edu said in an online exchange.
“It just makes me feel really eager to get out there and experience for myself.”
After several years with the youth squad, the 6-foot-10 Edu is finally set to make a debut with the seniors team when the country hosts the FIBA Basketball World Cup from 25 August to 10 September.
He, however, has yet to lodge heavy minutes inside the court after sustaining an ankle injury while training in Brisbane.
Although he was sidelined, he tried to immerse and use the opportunity to pick the brains of the best Filipino players from the Philippine Basketball Association, the Japan B. League and Korean Basketball League.
Edu said he couldn’t wait to return to action.
“I will be cleared to play by the time we get back to Manila,” he said.
Edu and Gilas will be back on Tuesday. They will have a brief break before resuming their training in preparation for a pocket tournament in China where they will face some of the best teams in Asia.
Other players like Calvin Oftana, Roger Pogoy, Ray Parks and Jordan Heading are expected to join the pool where the final roster for the prestigious 32-nation tournament will be drawn.
