Gilas women upbeat on claiming 3rd straight SEA Games gold
MANILA, Philippines — The Gilas Pilipinas women's team are optimistic of their chances of taking a historic third straight gold medal in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games next month in Cambodia.
As they enter a short training camp in Lipa, Batangas before they head to Phnom Penh, Gilas stalwarts believe they are ready for anything.
"The coaches, they've been doing their best to get everybody prepared. As much as we can. We've been going through a lot of practice games with boys, who are a lot more faster, more athletic than us. So it gives us kind of a chance to compete with a challenge," Trina Guytingco told media during Team Philippines' send-off ceremony at the PICC on Monday.
"We've been doing pretty well against the boys and learning a lot within ourselves as well and the coaches have been great with helping us," she said.
The Gilas women are gunning for the first-ever three-peat in women's basketball at the biennial meet, as no other Southeast Asian country has been able to achieve the feat before.
Since winning the country's first-ever gold in women's hoops back in 2019, the Philippines has been looking to establish dominance in the sport.
With the roster already complete in training for almost a month now, Monique del Carmen says the team has already built up its chemistry to pursue that third gold medal.
"Maganda na yung nilalaro namin ngayon as a team, unlike nung mga unang tune up namin... I can say na andun na yung chemistry ng team namin, and syempre, si Jack [Animam] bumalik na. Nakakacope up na din siya kagad sa system na binigay ni Coach Pat [Aquino]. Even the two Fil-Ams na si Ella [Fajardo] and Stefanie [Berberabe]," she said.
When it comes to mindset, the five-time UAAP champion said that the team just needs to handle each and every assignment the way that they would in a must-win situation.
"Sinasabi lang ni Coach Pat, one game at a time. Then we take it [like] a championship game, every game," said del Carmen.
The 32nd SEA Games tips off on May 5 in Cambodia.
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