The injury bug has hit Gilas Pilipinas Youth once again as Andy Gemao will not be able to see action in the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2024 in Amman, Jordan.

The high-flying Gemao, who led the Philippines with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists in their final game of the SEABA Qualifiers against Indonesia last July, suffered a third metacarpal bone fracture in a tuneup game against Iran.

“It’s an unfortunate situation. We do everything in our power to keep our players healthy,” said Gilas Youth team manager Dean Castaño. “But it’s a physical sport and these things happen. We wish Andy Gemao a quick and complete recovery and we’ll be here for him during this difficult time.”

This is eerily similar to the situation faced by the Gilas Youth in the FIBA U17 World Cup 2023 where Kieffer Alas suffered a knee injury during a practice game against Canada days before the start of the competitions.

Gilas is in Group D with New Zealand, Jordan, and Indonesia. The top four finishers in the tournament will qualify for the FIBA U19 World Cup 2025 in Switzerland.