By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Ilonggo hoops star John Bryan Sajonia is finally receiving the recognition he deserves after being named to the player pool of the PHL Under-24 national 3×3 team for the upcoming Asian Games.
The development was announced last August 10, 2023, after the committee already formed the official roster that will train and fly to Huzhou, China for the competition.
Sajonia, the former main gunner of the Santa Clarita International School of Iloilo, will be teaming up with the country’s best U-24 players from the NCAA and the UAAP.
The savvy scorer recently transferred from the Far Eastern University to the San Beda Red Lions and is currently serving his residency year.
Sajonia quickly became one of the most reliable guards in FEU’s rotation and even grabbed the spotlight during their huge win against the UP Fighting Maroons at the 15th FilOil EcoOil Preseason Cup last year.
The combo guard became the Tamaraws’ unsung hero in the knockout match and dropped a team-high 16 points along with five rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
It was former FEU head coach Olsen Racela who tasked Sajonia’s bigger role with the team after kicking off the UAAP Season 85 with a bang.
Despite failing to punch another playoff ticket, Sajonia made a huge leap from his rookie year and averaged 11.17 points, 4.17 rebounds, 1.67 assists, and 1.58 steals per game in his sophomore season.
Completing the roster of the national team are Johnrey Pasaol, Allen Liwag, Justine Sanchez, Bismarck Lina, and Jed Diaz.
