One of the noteworthy sidelights when Gilas Pilipinas conquered Saudi Arabia on Monday in the fourth window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers was how generations of Ateneo Blue Eagles stars were able to share the hardcourt together for the national team.
The only reason why Chinese-Japanese college student Hiroyuki Yamasaki travelled to Manila, Philippines earlier this August was to attend a month-long summer English review classes in preparation for his TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), a standardized exam that tests how ready non-native speakers are usually before enrolling at an English-speaking university or later on for international employment.
With Gilas Pilipinas fielding one of its better lineups throughout the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, mainstay Dwight Ramos thinks the current roster needs just a bit more fortifying to be battle-ready for the prestigious international competition next year.
Donning the Gilas Pilipinas jersey is nothing new for Bobby Ray Parks, Jr., having done it on several occasions across the youth, cadet, and men’s seniors levels.
Gilas Pilipinas leaned on a strong second quarter to overcome a nightmarish start and pull away against Saudi Arabia, 84-46 in the fourth window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers on Monday in front of a sold-out Mall of Asia Arena crowd in Pasay City.
Jordan Clarkson’s return to a Gilas Pilipinas uniform did not end the way fans wanted to, but the NBA super sub said says he still saw positives in the Philippines’ close 85-81 loss to Lebanon on Friday morning (Manila time).
The struggles do not seem to end for Kiefer Ravena’s Shiga Lakestars.
Second generation Filipino-Japanese basketball player Matthew Aquino made a successful debut for the Japanese national basketball team as they picked up a close 76-71 win over Chinese-Taipei in Group B of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers second window on Saturday at the Okinawa Arena in Japan.
Having been the face of Gilas Pilipinas ever since he made his men’s senior national team debut back in 2020, Dwight Ramos was aware that there were still two things he has not accomplished yet while donning the national colors for two years: to play inside the historic Smart-Araneta Coliseum and play in front of Filipino fans.
Dwight Ramos and Thirdy Ravena combined for 32 points as Gilas Pilipinas pulled away in the middle two quarters to outlast India, 88-64 on Friday in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers second window at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
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