MANILA, May 15 ------ Strong Group Athletics' basketball team is set to return to represent the country yet again. This, after they announced that they will be competing in the 43rd William Jones Cup which is set from July 13 to 21 in Taipei to serve as the Philippine team in the tournament.
"Strong Group Athletics has been contributing to Philippine sports by supporting athletes and national sports associations (NSAs) such as the SBP," said Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Erika Dy on SGA's inaugural participation in the event. "Mr. Frank Lao, his son Jacob, and Strong Group have shared their desire to bring back the Jones Cup championship trophy to the country and bring joy to Filipinos overseas. The SBP is thankful for their partnership in this Jones Cup mission," she added.
Leading SGA, who previously represented the Philippines during the 2024 Dubai International Basketball Championships, are veteran coaches Charles Tiu and Rajko Toroman. "We will form a team that will be ready to win it all and that Filipinos will be proud of," said Tiu, who previously led Mighty Sports to championships during the 2016 and 2019 editions of the tournament "I am hoping to bring back the Jones Cup championship to the Philippines after some time. It would be a moment of immense pride for our nation, and we're committed to working tirelessly to make this dream a reality," he added.
Meanwhile, Jacob Lao, who is the president of Strong Group Athletics, emphasized that one of their main goals is to showcase the talent of Filipinos on the international stage. "Strong Group Athletics was formed to help in showcasing what the Filipino athlete can do on the international stage," he said. "We are grateful to the SBP for allowing us to compete in the prestigious William Jones Cup and bring joy to the overseas Filipino workers in Taiwan just like what we did in Dubai a few months ago." he added.
Led by Dwight Howard, Kevin Quiambao, Justine Baltazar, Jordan Heading, and Andre Roberson, SGA clinched a silver finish in Dubai, only bowing down to champions Al Riyadi through a buzzer-beating, title-clinching three-pointer by Ismael Abdelmoneim. SGA is still currently in the process of signing players for the tournament. The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters previously represented the Philippines during last year's Jones Cup, with the Ange Kouame-backed EPainters placing fifth at the end of the tilt.
Source: news.abs-cbn.com
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