Japan debuts delayed as 3 Filipino imports in quarantine

In a bit of a dampener to an explosive debut weekend for the Japan B. League, three of the eight Filipino imports – Dwight Ramos, Javi Gomez de Liaño, and Kemark Cariño – won’t see action yet for the next two weeks due to quarantine protocols.

The trio only left recently and due to Japan’s stringent inbound arrival policies, they will miss at least two sets of back-to-back games in the next 14 days.

However, Pinoy fans will still have no shortage of action in the coming weekends as the five other imports already in Japan are all ready to go – brothers Thirdy and Kiefer Ravena, Bobby Ray Parks Jr., Kobe Paras, and Juan Gomez de Liaño.

(FAST FACTS: Who are the Japan B. League Filipino imports?)

Ramos, who will suit up for the Toyama Grouses, only left the Philippines last Tuesday, September 28, according to an online post by his girlfriend, pro volleyball player Kianna Dy.

Meanwhile, a source bared that Gomez de Liaño, playing for the Ibaraki Robots, was still here in the country as of Tuesday, while Cariño’s agent confirmed in a Spin.ph report that the Aomori Wat’s reinforcement left for Japan around the same time as Ramos.

The Department of Labor and Employment also said that Ramos and Cariño got their overseas employment certificates (OEC) on Tuesday, clearing them for B. League work.

Due to how the league has set up its schedule, all five Filipinos will debut on Saturday, October 2, then play the same opponents again on Sunday, October 3, in different time slots.

(GAMES SCHEDULE: Filipino basketball players in Japan B. League)

Paras is up first on Saturday at 1:05 pm as the Niigata Albirex BB take on the Kyoto Hannaryz, before the Ravena brothers square off at 4:05 pm as Thirdy’s San-en NeoPhoenix take on Kiefer’s Shiga Lakestars.

The younger Gomez de Liaño will debut at 5 pm for the Division 2’s Earthfriends Tokyo Z against the Kagawa Five Arrows, while Parks’ Nagoya Diamond Dolphins will battle the Sun Rockers Shibuya at 5:05 pm.