‘Heartthrob’ Romeo feted as Number 1 cager

MANILA, Philippines — His explosive performances have turned him into the latest darling of Philippine basketball. 

Terrence Romeo, the GlobalPort star who captivated fans with his scoring feats in the PBA, also sizzled in the international stage to help Gilas Pilipinas’ campaigns last year. 

During the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup, Romeo unleashed 26 points, including a sizzling 5-of-7 clip from three-point range, to power Gilas Pilipinas to a stunning 96-87 victory over China last August in Lebanon. 

In the same tournament, the 25-year-old guard also erupted for 22 points, highlighted by a 6-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc, against South Korea.

He eventually finished as Gilas’ top scorer in the tournament with an average of 17.5 points.

Even FIBA took notice of Romeo’s game highlights, which have garnered hundreds of thousands of views and have been featured in its official website.  

Such exploits that thrilled both local and international fans earned Romeo the Mr. Fan Favorite “Manok ng Bayan” Award in the SMC-PSA Awards Night on Feb. 27 at the Manila Hotel.

The special citation presented by Chooks to Go, headed by Bounty Agro Ventures Inc.’s Ronald Mascariñas, aims to honor the player who left a lasting impact both on and off the court.

Romeo, a former Far Eastern University standout, also emerged for the third straight season as the PBA’s leading scorer by posting an average of 23.3 points to bag the scoring champion honor from the PBA Press Corps.

The GlobalPort star will be among the athletes and personalities to be recognized in the traditional festivities staged by the country’s oldest media organization and presented by Milo and Cignal TV.

World champions Jerwin Ancajas, Krizziah Lyn Tabora, and Carlo Biado, recipients of the PSA-Tapa King Athlete of the Year award, lead the long honor roll which makes up part of the program that has the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) as major sponsor and backed by Mighty Sports, Rain or Shine, GlobalPort, and the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).