Fresh from making heads turn in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Filipinas will rally behind Gilas Filipinas when the national basketball team competes in the 2023 FIBA World Cup starting 25 August.
Smart Head of Sports Jude Turcuato told Daily Tribune that during the Filipinas’ courtesy call last Friday with Manny Pangilinan, the Filipinas’ recent feat was reminiscent of what the basketball squad pulled off during the 2019 worlds in Seville, Spain.
“It was a breakthrough for Gilas to qualify for the World Cup after a long time and won a game (against Senegal). The program from there had momentum and hopefully, the Filipinas can get more momentum and they’re looking forward for them to qualify for the next World Cup,” Turcuato said.
The Filipinas earned the respect of the world when they scored a 1-0 win over host New Zealand before bowing out.
As fate would have it, 2014 was not only the year Gilas Pilipinas took a win in the FIBA World Cup but it was also the year the MVP Sports Foundation threw its support behind the national women’s football team.
Also in attendance during the courtesy call was Philippine Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas President Al Panlilio,
“That’s the objective of the foundation: to help support our elite athletes. MVP said it’s almost similar to Gilas nine years ago because when they were in Seville, Spain, they also won one game there,” Turcuato said in a phone conversation.
Since then, The Filipinas clinched a spot in the Women’s World Cup, a bronze medal in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi and won the AFF Women’s Championships in 2022 in Manila.
