MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas flew to Spain with only 11 of its 19-man pool, and a key player the national team will miss in its brief training camp is Raymond Almazan. 

Almazan did not join the trip that’s part of the Philippines’ buildup for the FIBA World Cup after his visa application was denied. 

“I feel sad because there are plenty of things that I’ll learn there and I’ll miss the bonding of the team,” Almazan said in Filipino a day before the team traveled to Madrid on Sunday, August 4. 

“They will face big opponents there and I want to experience that. I want to experience Spain with the team. It’s once in a lifetime. I’ll miss it. But I won’t miss the World Cup.” 

Turning 30 last August 2, Almazan first thought that he was being pranked by the team. 

“I thought Spain would be a birthday gift for me. I also thought they were joking with me because it’s my birthday. I was just waiting for someone to approach me but it turned out it wasn’t a joke,” he said while laughing. 

Almazan guessed his failure to secure a visa may have stemmed from rescheduling his appointment in the embassy, as his initial appointment coincided with the day Meralco had a game in the PBA. 

The same thing happened to national team assistant coach Ford Arao. 

“There’s still the World Cup so maybe we won’t be denied there,” Almazan said. 

“I regret not being there but I’ll support them even if they’re far from me.” – Rappler.com