PH wheelchair basketball team sasabak sa Asian Para Games

TULOY ang biyahe ng national men’s team sa hangzhou Asian Para Games matapos ibulsa ang bronze medal sa International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) Asia-Oceana Championship sa Suphanburi,Thailand.

Dinispatsa ng Pilipinas ang Chinese Taipei, 62-57, sa battle for third place sa paligsahan na ginanap sa Suphanburi Stadium.

Kuwalipikado rin ang Kuwait at Afghanistan, na lumaban para sa gold medal sa final match 58-56.

“It was a very close match from start to finish,” Wika ni national team head coach Vernon Perea tungkol sa bronze medal match Lunes.

“We dominated them with our inside game during the elimination match. What they did was to put two defenders on our center Alfie Cabañog which we anticipated and focused on during our pre-game preparation. As expected, they pressured us full court from start to finish. We invited the double team on Alfie and ran the floor well. Our game plan worked and did damage on transition,” Dagdag pa ng dating miyembro ng Ato Badolato-mentored San Beda College Red Cubs. Siya ay varsity chess player.

Biniktima ng Pilipinas ang HongKong (71-39), United Arab Emirates (68-58) at Chinese Taipei (60-42), pero natalo sa Afghanistan (65-58) at Kuwait (57-50) sa elimination round.

Ang team, na dumating sa Manila Linggo, ay inaasahan na babalik sa training ngayong Linggo.

“The preparation of both men’s and women’s teams for the ASEAN Para Games is okay. The women’s team attended a development camp conducted by the IWBF in Thailand last March,” Bahagi ng 52-year-old Perea.

“Prior to that, both teams started training December of last year. We’re practicing in three venues, namely Sta. Lucia basketball gym along Marcos Highway, San Roque covered court, and Strip 70 basketball court in Marikina,” Dagdag pa nya.

Kumpiyansa ang Pilipinas na malagpasan ang silver medal performance sa nakaraang ASEAN Para games sa Indonesia.

“For the men’s team, we would like to go for the gold. But we are expecting a much stronger opposition from all the teams that are participating, especially Malaysia which we expect to come back strong, Thailand of course [which has] been lording it over for several years already, and the host country Cambodia [which] will be full of surprises,” Tugon ni Perea.

Ang women’s team ay fourth place sa likuran ng Thailand,Cambodia at Laos sa 2022.

Ang kakatawan sa Pilipinas sa Cambodia ay sina Mark Vincent Aguilar, John Rey Escalante, Kenneth Christopher Tapia, Freddie Magdayo, Alfie Cabañog, Rene Macabenguil, Janelle Cañete, Clifford Trocino, Marlon Nacita, Jefferson Legacion, Kyle Carlo Carandang and Moises Escobar sa men’s team.

Samantala, ang miyembro ng women’s team ay sina Patricia Camille Castro, Lois Jean Delos Reyes, Jocelyn Follero, Janet Briñas, Cathreen Gem Tanyag, Rhebilyn Aniban, Mary Joy Hernandez, Mylene Margaha, Ihoricel Panquico, Lorna Lilagan at Cecille Wells.

Ang coaching staff ni Pereas ay binobuo nina Harry Joseph Solanoy, Yolanda Hernandez at Juanito Mingarine.