“If BRAVE CF thinks I have to prove it again, then so be it. I am a fighter, and my job is to fight and win fights. Like I said in the past, line them up and I will keep knocking them down. It’s that simple,” – Rolando Dy
Learn more about the Philippine national team that competed in the ABC Championship held here in Manila.
![The 1954 Nationals that won the bronze medal in the 1954 World tournament. [Henry Liao photo]](https://sportsbytes.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/144950691_774393143285027_3026363166572188338_n-400x200.jpg)
A dozen countries were in attendance in the 1954 edition – seven from the Americas, three from Europe and two from Asia, the Philippines and Formosa (Taiwan/now known as Chinese-Taipei).
![PH National Team that won the bronze in 1954 World Basketball in Rio de Janeiro. [Henry Liao photo]](https://sportsbytes.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/144429345_221818172990075_1891445414791191084_n-400x200.jpg)
According to the famous historian and National Artist awardee Nick Joaquin, basketball was introduced to Filipinos within the historic walls of Intramuros, Manila. Unclear, however, is the exact date of the first basketball game ever played on Philippine soil.
![Kai Sotto [FIBA.com photo]](https://sportsbytes.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/4622-400x200.jpg)
Unlike Japeth Aguilar and Kobe Paras before him, Kai Sotto was not simply a walk-in, trying his luck in American basketball.
![Mary Joy Tabal and Lieutenant Junior Grade Hector Dan Jimenez [photo credit: John Velez]](https://sportsbytes.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/138608872_4051559628188386_6227047821576022723_o-400x200.jpg)
The love story between Rio Olympian Mary Joy Tabal and Lieutenant Junior Grade Hector Dan Jimenez all started with a colored heart, one that turned out to be the start of a fairy tale relationship in this exclusive piece.
The Department of Justice found probable cause on the complaint filed by the Philippine Sports Commission and the National Bureau of Investigation against former employees involved in a payroll padding scheme.
“We called for this meeting to emphasize the safety protocols you will be needing for this Olympic training bubble. I am confident that we can all adjust to this, but know that your safety is paramount to the PSC,” – PSC Commissioner Ramon Fernandez,