AFTER coming up short in Hanoi three years ago, Matthew Wright finally struck gold at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand.
Wright was part of the Gilas Pilipinas squad that fell to Indonesia in the 2022 finals, settling for silver in what is remembered as one of Philippine basketball’s most heartbreaking defeats. Fellow Hanoi SEA Games player Thirdy Ravena also returned to the team and secured his own gold medal this year.
“I came into this tournament trying to avenge that loss,” Wright said. “We had two weeks to prepare. Thailand did everything possible to make it difficult for us to have a team. But that made us band together more and come out with the gold.”
The 34-year-old revealed that the SEA Games plan had been in motion since September, but the team only began practicing weeks before the tournament. “Anytime the country calls me, I’m going to play no matter what, no matter what tournament it is so I’m just happy that Coach Norman chose me,”
he added.
Wright admitted that missing the Japan B.League for the 2025-26 season left him a bit rusty in the early games, but he quickly found his rhythm, helping Gilas Pilipinas dominate the competition and bring home the gold.
/ RSC