Rain or Shine superstar James Yap is back in the country but apparently has left his heart in Italy.
Yap, who had just flown in, says he isn’t discounting the possibility of returning to Italy to be with his family for Christmas right after his obligation in the PBA with the Elasto Painters.
The two-time PBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) arrived Thursday afternoon after spending three months in Italy.
Yap’s four-year-old son Michael James and two-year-old daughter Francesca Michelle stayed with their mother – his fiancée Michela Cazzola – in Milano Marittima at the province of Ravenna, about three hours away from Rome.
“Baka bumalik ako after ng PBA,” said Yap when contacted by Manila Bulletin.
The 38-year-old Yap said in previous interviews that the original plan is for his family to return to the Philippines several weeks after his arrival. But since the holiday season is barely three months away, it has become a possibility that they would reunite in Italy instead.
“Wala pa talagang sure na plano sa ngayon, pero baka – kung sakali lang – doon kami mag-Christmas. Pero wala pang final sa ngayon kasi possible pa rin na susunod sila sa akin dito,” he said.
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Yap, a known motorcycle enthusiast as he owns four bikes including an exclusive BMW R nine T, wore his limited edition BMW carbon fiber helmet (one of four he bought in Italy) most of the time while inside the plane as part of his own protection from the virus.
Yap is currently in quarantine at a government-prescribed hotel as part of the health protocol for anybody coming into the Philippines from another country.
After his arrival at the airport, the 6-foot-2 forward had a swab test, with the result expected in two days.
“Waiting lang ako for the result. Siempre, hoping ako na negative para makauwi muna sa bahay then after that maka-join na sa ensayo ng team,” said Yap.
If cleared to train, Yap would join the practice session of Rain or Shine every Monday-Wednesday-Friday from 8 to 9 in the morning at the Reyes gymnasium in Mandaluyong City.
A member of the 40 Greatest Players in the PBA, Yap is in the first group of ROS players with teammates Jewel Ponferada, Norbert Torres and Sidney Onwubere under assistant coach Chris Gavina.