Pinoy hoop invasion! Marlou Aquino’s son signs with Shinshu Brave Warriors photo Tiebreaker Times
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Pinoy hoop invasion! Marlou Aquino’s son signs with Shinshu Brave Warriors

Oct 16, 2021, 7:30 AM
Nicole Pulido

Nicole Pulido

Writer

Matthew Aquino becomes the 9th Filipino player hooping in Japan after signing with Shinshu Brave Warriors although not as an import but as a local.

THE number of Filipino born players playing in Japanese professional basketball league continues to rise after Matthew Aquino, son of former PBA star Marlou, became the latest baller to be signed by the league.

Matthew became the ninth Filipino player to play in the Japanese B. League after signing with the Shinshu Brave Warriors.

He signed a 3-year contract with the team but more importantly, he was not signed under the Asian Players Quota unlike his fellow Filipino players.

How did this happen?

To get the facts straight, Matthew Aquino does not have a Japanese mother or a father.

What the Aquino family has is a Japanese nationality. His Japanese lineage traces back to his maternal grandmother, whose surname is Toma, and the Japanese citizenship has been passed on to his mother.

This made Aquino travelling in and out of Japan easily as he holds a Japanese passport.

This made the signing with Shinshu Brave Warriors a much easier process which also means that the 6’7 center won't be strapped by any restriction placed on imports in the B. League.

After his collegiate career with the National University, he eventually played for Bacoor City Strikers in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).

Although the 25-year old already finished his 14-day quarantine in Japan, he will not be playing this weekend against Alvark Tokyo.

Aquino is expected to debut next with Shinshu Brave Warriors against Osaka Evessa on Oct. 23 and 24.

The former National University star will join eight other Filipinos already hooping in the league.

They include the Ravena brothers, Kiefer and Thirdy who are playing under Shiga Lakestars and SanEn NeoPhoenix.

Also in the B.League are former University of the Philippines star Kobe Paras, who plays for the Niigata Albirex BB, Javi Gomez de Liano’s Ibaraki Robots, Juan Gomez de Liano with Earth Friends Tokyo Z.

Also with them are former TNT star Bobby Ray Parks’ with the Nagoya Dolphins, ex-Ateneo Blue Eagle Dwight Ramos with Toyama Grouses, and Kemark Carino with Aomori Wat’s.

Tags: #basketball, #Japan, #B.League


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