Matthew Aquino named to Japan national team pool for FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers

Filipino player Matthew Aquino on Monday was announced as part of the Japan national team's 24-man selection for the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers.

Aquino, the son of PBA legend Marlou Aquino, is a holder of a Japanese passport and has Japanese heritage through his mother's side of the family.

He also plays as a local in the Japanese Professional Basketball League (B.League), suiting up for the Shinshu Brave Warriors. The second-generation player, though, has been playing limited minutes in the B,League.

He only saw action back in November 6 where he had two points and two boards in almost two and a half minutes of play against the Akita Northern Happinets.

He played collegiate ball in the UAAP here in the Philippines, playing for Adamson University in 2014 and National University in 2017.

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"I am honored to be selected as a candidate for the Japanese national team," Aquino said in a statement. "I have been asking to play in Japan, so I am proud of this election. I will do my best to produce results on behalf of Shinshu!"

Aside from Aquino, his teammate Yudai Okada also received the national team callup.

According to Shinshu's website, this is the first time that a candidate was selected from the team.

If chosen for the final 12-man team, Aquino and the rest of the Japan squad will go against China in the first window of the Asian qualifiers slated on November 27 and 28.

Japan is one of the hosts of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, along with the Philippines and Indonesia.

—Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA News