FIBA breaks Brandon’s heart

Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser won't fulfill his dream of suiting up for Gilas Pilipinas after the International Basketball Federation denied his request to play.

Coming off a solid showing in the Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh last May, Ganuelas-Rosser wrote the FIBA to have himself cleared "but there's no luck with that."

Brandon is the younger brother of Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, who represented Gilas Pilipinas in FIBA-sanctioned events like the Asian Championship and the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

But unlike his elder brother, his situation is different as Matt was born in the Philippines while Brandon was born in the United States.

Even though he was determined to serve the national team as a practice player after learning that he won't be eligible for the World Cup, Ganuelas-Rosser wanted to volunteer as a practice player and provide an extra warm body for the national training team, whose pool members are vying for a spot in the biggest basketball event set to unfold barely a month from now.

But the injury he sustained prevented him from coming close to playing in the World Cup.

"I found out that I was playing with three stress fractures in my left leg," Ganuelas-Rosser added.

As he recovers from the WC heartbreak, he is waiting to get better and find another way to play for flag and country.

Currently, his commitment is to play for NLEX, his mother team in the Philippine Basketball Association.

"I've learned that there's another level of playing when you put that Gilas jersey on," he said.

"There's nothing like playing for your country."