Gilas Pilipinas Youth breathed a sigh of relief after top guard Kieffer Alas avoided a serious left knee injury.
Alas was ruled out of the FIBA U17 World Cup after hurting his knee in a tune-up match against Canada.
Results of magnetic resonance imaging showed that Alas only had a sprained knee, allaying fears of a major anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
The Alas family released a statement Saturday on the condition of the 17-year-old cager.
“Kieffer sprained his left knee during the tune-up game against Canada. Thus, with a heavy heart, Kieffer will miss the U17 FIBA World Cup. We praise God that his ACL remained intact and strong,” the Alas family announced.
The family added that the De La Salle Zobel standout is currently recovering and will undergo therapy to get back in tip-top shape soon.
“Kieffer will continue to recover and strengthen his knee in order to be back stronger than ever. We deeply appreciate all the prayers, love and concern,” the Alas family statement said.
Alas, a Mythical Team member of the 2023 FIBA U16 Asian Cup, will miss Gilas Youth’s World Cup campaign in Istanbul, Turkey.
Gilas Youth is in Group A along with Spain, Lithuania and Puerto Rico.
Head coach Josh Reyes tapped Champ Arejola as a replacement for Alas, who averaged 15.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in the FIBA U16 Asian Cup.
“We have to move forward and quickly figure out how to play without him,” Reyes said.