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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Kai Sotto returns to B.League action

Kai Sotto returns to B.League action

Published Jan 23, 2026 01:59 pm

At A Glance

  • After nearly a year of recovery, Kai Sotto is close to returning to action for the Koshigaya Alphas in this season's Japan B.League.
(Kai Sotto IG post)
(Kai Sotto IG post)
After nearly a year of recovery, Kai Sotto is close to returning to action for the Koshigaya Alphas in this season’s Japan B.League.
On an Instagram post Friday, Jan. 23, the 23-year-old Sotto revealed that he is set for a comeback in the ongoing B.League after he successfully healed from an ACL injury he sustained early 2025.
“Year 5. I'm back. #comebackyear,” Sotto wrote with his photos wearing a Koshigaya jersey.
The 7-foot-3 cager rejoined the club last off-season to mark his third year in the Japanese competition and fifth in the international tournament.
Sotto continued his recovery in Japan and here in the country after he underwent a surgery. He later joined the team's practices and was even named as part of the All-Star which he decided to skip.
The Gilas Pilipinas star previously suited for two seasons with the Adelaide 36ers in the National Basketball League (NBL) in Australia.
Sotto’s return would not only boost Koshigaya, which is currently 20th place with a 10-20 slate in its run, but also the Gilas program.
The former Ateneo high school big man played a key role in the Nationals’ campaign, particularly in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in July 2024.
There, Sotto and Justin Brownlee anchored the Tim Cone-mentored squad to a stunning 89-80 win over host Latvia – a historic triumph that served as the Philippines’ first victory against a European team in 64 years.
However, they fell short anew to enter the Paris Olympics.
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