THE Gilas Pilipinas women squad nearly went home winless in the 2021 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup Division A tournament but in the match that mattered most, the Filipinas got the job done.
Coach Pat Aquino could not be any prouder of his charges, who scored a thrilling 74-70 victory over India last Friday at the Prince Hamza Hall to remain in Division A.
“I’m just so happy. I’m very, very happy with the girls,” Aquino said. “They didn’t stop competing.”
Aquino thanked the Overseas Filipino Workers in Amman, Jordan for giving the nationals a big boost.
“Everywhere we go, there’s lots of Filipinos around the world and fans come out and support us. Filipinos really support our athletes and our journey here,” Aquino said.
“For me, the big factor is the audience because they boosted our energy to win this game.
Without them, probably, we won’t be as lucky.”
Despite getting waylaid by powerhouse teams Australia, China, and Chinese-Taipei by an average margin of 65.3 points, Aquino and the squad kept their heads held high.
“I’m really so happy being here and competing with the girls. Us bringing them out here even with all those bubble trainings and coming here, I’m just so proud of the girls,” he said.
“Hopefully, we can do it every time there is this kind of tournament. The goal of this team is to compete and compete and play well with the very best.”
