Filipino basketball players

Thirdy Ravena sends letter to PBA after signing new Japan contract

Delfin Dioquino

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Thirdy Ravena sends letter to PBA after signing new Japan contract

IMPORT. Thirdy Ravena will star for the San-En NeoPhoenix in the coming years.

Photo by B. League

Thirdy Ravena inking a new Japan deal means he will not be able to join the PBA in the coming years, putting him in danger of violating the 'draft dodger' rule

Thirdy Ravena has sent a letter to the PBA informing the league that he will remain in Japan after signing a new contract with the San-En NeoPhoenix.

Ravena inking the multi-year deal in the Japan B. League means he will not be able to join the PBA Draft in the foreseeable future, putting him in danger of violating the “draft dodger” rule.

According to the PBA rule, players who skip the draft for two years after their final playing year in college may face a ban.

Ravena ended his collegiate career for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in 2019.

“The letter he sent stated that he has renewed or re-signed a contract in the Japan Basketball League. He said he will play for a few years there,” PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said in Filipino.

“He said he was not able to play much because of COVID and injuries. He said he has a lot to develop.”

Ravena played only 18 of their possible 59 games in the previous B. League season after a series of personal misfortunes.

He tested positive for the coronavirus in the middle of the season and sustained wrist and knee injuries.

After signing a new contract, Ravena is expected to play a more significant role for the NeoPhoenix, who are seeking to bounce back from a disappointing 12-47 campaign. (READ: Thirdy Ravena eager to bounce back with ‘genuine’ NeoPhoenix)

Marcial said the PBA wishes only the best for the 24-year-old Ravena.

“Congratulations to him and all the best,” Marcial said. – Rappler.com

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Delfin Dioquino

Delfin Dioquino dreamt of being a PBA player, but he did not have the skills to make it. So he pursued the next best thing to being an athlete – to write about them. He took up journalism at the University of Santo Tomas and joined Rappler as soon as he graduated in 2017.