Gilas Women up for tough task in Asia Cup
Gilas Pilipinas is tuning up for another tough campaign in the Fiba Women’s Asia Cup, shooting for progress in a field it has come to know well after being repeatedly tested to its limits.
“We started training since March with [sessions] at PhilSports Arena, Corinthian Garden and 3rd Fitness Club,” head coach Pat Aquino told the Inquirer on Friday afternoon, about a month before the continental showcase in China.
The Philippines, which has held its place in the top-flight division for nearly a decade, will face a daunting group stage that gets going on July 11 at the Shenzhen Center—as the Nationals face three foes they have never beaten before.
The Nationals’ first match is against World No. 2 Australia, followed by a battle against traditional power Japan. Aquino and his charges then close out Group B against Lebanon, a side the country last played in 2009.
“We’ve been in Division A for eight years now. We know how tough it is and the pressure that comes with playing against them,” Aquino said.
Best run
Gilas is hoping to build on its best showing in recent memory, a 2023 run that included a breakthrough win over Chinese-Taipei and a near-upset of New Zealand. The squad finished eighth, but the lessons from that campaign continue to resonate.
“To compete at their level remains our main objective,” Aquino said. “We’ve experienced it, so now we know how to prepare and maximize our strengths.”Coaching staff is working with a fluid pool as it awaits the arrival of key names, including Vanessa de Jesus, the naturalized former Duke standout who previously suited up alongside team pillars Jack Danielle Animam, Afril Bernardino and newcomer Jhaz Joson.
Aquino said De Jesus is expected to rejoin the fold by month’s end after settling in at Notre Dame, where she plans to play her final year of eligibility.
Also listed in the pool are Ateneo star and UAAP Most Valuable Player Kacey dela Rosa, University of the Philippines’ Louna Ozar, and longtime Gilas regulars Khate Castillo and Angel Surada.
The climb ahead is shaping up as a steep one, and Gilas’ finest outing—fourth overall back in 1984, when the tournament was still referred to as the ABC Championship for Women—certainly is a distant memory.
Still, Aquino believes the strides made last time could be enough to ignite something more.
