The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Robert Andaya
The Philippines’ 96-75 win over Asian rival China, as well as its 24th-place finish in the FIBA World Cup 2023, is a big boost to the morale of the country in the coming 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino also said the victory of the Jordan Clarkson-led Filipinos in the prestigious 32-nation competition also restored the trust of the Filipino people in the Gilas Pilipinas program of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).
“That was one big victory over China.The win was confidence-building and that brought back the belief that yes, Filipino athletes can,” said Tolentino, two days after Gilas Pilipinas’ Convincing 21-point victory over the Chinese in the world’s biggest basketball stage at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Sunday.
Tolentino,also the Tagaytay City mayor, said momentum is now on the Filipinos’ side with only 19 days left before the Asian Games scheduled Sept. 23-October 8 in Hangzhou, China.
Tolentino also expressed the same trust on the Filipinas, the women’s national football team, which made history by qualifying for the Women’s World Cup and nailing a 1-0 victory over tournament co-host New Zealand last July.
“Those are two momentum going for us in the Asian Games,” said Tolentino.
The men’s basketball competition in the Asian Games is set three days after the opening ceremony on September 26 in three venues .
The Philippines make its debut against Bahrain in Group C where Thailand and Jordan– which went 0-5 won-lost to finish seven rungs below No. 24 Philippines in the World Cup –are also bracketed.
Aftre Brunei, the Philippines will take on Thailand on September 28 and Jordan on September 29.
Japan,which booked the lone ticket to the 2023 Paris Olympics
as the best-finishing Asian country with a 3-2 in the FIBA World Cup , is in Group D with Indonesia, Qatar and South Korea.
Host China, Lebanon, Chinese Taipei and Mongolia make up Group B.
Iran, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are in Group A.