(CNN Philippines, February 7) — Kai Sotto is taking on a new challenge as he makes the jump to the Japan B.League.
The 7-foot-3 cager signed with the Hiroshima Dragonflies Tuesday, the team announced on its website.
Sotto is coming off an amicable exit from the Adelaide 36ers in Australia’s National Basketball League, where the squad was eliminated from playoff contention over the weekend.
The 20-year-old said he is eager to help Hiroshima reach greater heights in the B.League
“I am looking forward to playing with the Hiroshima Dragonflies. I will do my best to make the season of the Dragonflies, which aims to win the B.League, a great one. I am grateful to the president and GM for giving me this opportunity. I am looking forward to meeting my teammates, staff and of course the fans,” Sotto said in a statement.
Hiroshima general manager Shuji Okazaki said Sotto will bolster the frontcourt of the team which could be an advantage in shuffling the players.
“With his addition, it will not only be possible to take a big lineup in the future, but it will also be possible to take a new rotation style,” he said.
The Dragonflies currently occupy the fourth spot in the team standings with a 27-9 win-loss record, while the league is on a month-long FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers break.
Sotto becomes the second Filipino import to be tapped by Hiroshima after signing then releasing Justine Baltazar in 2022.
Sotto is one of the 24 players included in the Gilas Pilipinas pool for the sixth and final window of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers scheduled later this month at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
