February 2, 2014 Nation urged to rally behind PH team in Basketball World Cup House Assistant Majority Leader and Cebu Rep. Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr. has called on all Filipinos, including those based overseas, to rally behind the national team in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain. “Our forthcoming participation in the FIBA Basketball World Cup has put the Philippines at the center stage of a highly celebrated global sporting event,” said Gullas, vice chairman of the House committee on youth and sports development. “This early, we should lend all the support we can to the Philippine team and the national sports association for basketball, as they prepare aggressively for the competition,” Gullas said. He added: “We have very high hopes that, just like in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship here, the Philippine team will perform exceptionally in Spain.” The Philippines, Iran and South Korea have qualified to represent Asia in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, which will be held August 30 to September 4 in Spain. The Philippines is one of only 24 countries competing in the prestigious International Basketball Federation (FIBA) event. The 12-member Philippine team is composed of Japeth Aguilar, Jim Alapag, Jeffrei Allan Chan, Gary David, Ranidel De Ocampo, Marcus Douthit, June Mar Fajardo, Larry Alexander Fonacier, Gabriel Daniel Norwood, Jean Marc Pingris, Lewis Alfred Tenorio and Jayson William, according to the FIBA website. The other countries competing in the games are Spain (host); USA (Olympic gold medalist); France, Lithuania, Croatia, Slovenia, Ukraine and Serbia (Europe’s top six teams); Mexico, Puerto Rico, Argentina and the Dominican Republic (Americas’ top four); Angola, Egypt and Senegal (Africa’s top three); Australia and New Zealand (Oceania’s top two); and the four invited wild card teams of Brazil, Finland, Greece and Turkey. In House Resolution 507, Gullas previously lauded the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and the national team for their stirring 7-2 win-loss tally in the 15-nation 2013 FIBA Asia Championship. It was second-best to the regional champion, Iran’s 9-0, and matched South Korea’s 7-2. Owing to the national team’s rousing finish in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, the Philippines posted the biggest improvement among all 15 Asian countries in the FIBA World Ranking, leaping by 11 notches, from World No. 45 before the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship to World No. 34 after. The 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup will mark the first time in 36 years that the Philippines will be competing in the event, after the country hosted and played in the 1978 FIBA World Cup (then known as the FIBA World Championship). Gullas credited the SBP, led by businessman Manuel Pangilinan, for building a robust national sports association for basketball, and pulling together an extremely competitive national team. “The inspiring hard work of the SBP and the national team have already brought great honor and glory to the Philippines,” Gullas said. An avid basketball player himself, Gullas, 29, is also team manager of the University of the Visayas Baby Lancers, one-time national champion of the SBP Under-16.
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 04:11:14 +0000
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