Back in May 2022, Kevin Alas faced a tough decision: skip playing for the Philippine basketball team at the SEA Games in Vietnam to care for his ailing wife, Selina Dagdag, who was battling a rare cancer called gestational trophoblastic neoplasia.
Fast forward 17 months, and Alas got the call to join Gilas Pilipinas at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. This time, he grabbed the opportunity with both hands, as Selina had triumphantly beaten cancer since July 2022.
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For Kevin, this second chance to represent his country was a blessing beyond measure. “If you remember nung SEA Games, I was part of the line-up na. I had to decline kasi I have to be there to take care of Selena,” recalled Alas in an interview with Spin.ph.
“Napakalaking blessing to be part of the national team na kapag may opportunity, kung puwede, I’ll always say yes,” he added.
And the happiest person about his return to the national team? Selina herself. “Um-oo agad ako and I informed my wife, si Selena. She was very, very happy for me,” said Kevin.
But what made this comeback even sweeter for the NLEX Road Warrior was that it was unexpected. Kevin didn’t think he’d be in the lineup, which gave him a boost of confidence, reminding him that he’s still one of the top ballers in the country.
“Personally, I didn’t expect to be back with the national team na. I know na may better guards sa PBA at international. Just being back with the national team, I’m really, really grateful,” said Alas.
Indeed, what goes around comes around. In Kevin’s case, making a sacrifice for his wife got him good karma.
