Strong Group to continue supporting PH basketball

MANILA – Strong Group has pledged to continue its support to the national team following the country's successful campaign at the 43rd William Jones Cup last Sunday.

Strong Group-Pilipinas won the title after beating host Chinese-Taipei A, 83-79, in overtime.

"This victory is just the beginning. Besides our team, we will continue to support the Samahang Basketball sa Pilipinas (SBP) and Gilas Pilipinas. We want our program to complement the national team's efforts and offer help in any way we can," Strong Group president Jacob Lao said on Wednesday.

The Jones Cup victory marked a significant milestone for Strong Group Athletics.

"We started Strong Group with a dream – to prove that the Filipino athlete can shine on the international stage. This victory is a testament to our relentless pursuit of excellence, done for the pride of our nation," Strong Group-Pilipinas chairman Frank Lao said.

"Thank you to all our kababayans (countrymen) in the Philippines and our OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) – this victory is for you! A heartfelt thanks to the SBP, Sir Al Panlilio (former PLDT president), and Ma'am Erika Dy (SBP executive director) for believing in our players and coaches," he added.

Strong Group head coach Charles Tiu was happy with the team's accomplishment.

"It is always an honor for me to represent the country in any way, and that was the mantra of the team throughout the tournament. We wanted to give glory to our country. And aside from that, I really wanted to win a championship for Boss Frank and Jacob (Lao). They've trusted me a lot, and I wanted to deliver for them," said Tiu after the Philippines bagged its seventh Jones Cup title.

He commended Kiefer Ravena for scoring a triple in the final 13 seconds in regulation to give Strong Group a 73-71 lead.

"Kiefer showed once again what he is made of. There are times when I really wanted to strangle him in the games, but when it is crunch time or winning time, there's no one I trust more to make big plays, and he delivered in our biggest games against Ukraine and in our championship game," Tiu remarked.

RJ Abarrientos also played well throughout the tournament, averaging 9.3 points, 5.1 assists, and 2.3 rebounds.

"RJ Abarrientos was phenomenal. It was my first time working with him, and he is such a great player. When we drew up a play for him in the first play of overtime and he hit the corner three off the glass, I thought that this might be our game after all," Tiu said.

Jordan Heading, the only one left from the Strong Group's Dubai International Basketball Championship team, also contributed.

"Jordan Heading was closely guarded, and we couldn't get him any looks. I really wanted him to shoot those free throws, and I trusted that he would knock them down. He went up to me after and said he wasn't going to miss again after that Dubai game," Tiu said.

Strong Group is already planning its 2025 calendar, including the title defense of the Jones Cup title. (PNA)