Tag: braces

Brazil braces for ‘highly technical’ Gilas in Fiba OQT semifinals

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Coach Aleksandar Petrovic and Brazil face Gilas Pilipinas in the Fiba OQT semifinals in Riga, Latvia. –FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Brazil knows the caliber of the Gilas Pilipinas team that stands in the way of its goal to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

Brazil and the Philippines square off in the semifinals of the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga, the penultimate roadblock to securing one of the remaining spots for the Paris Summer Games.

Game time is at 8:30 pm with a victory sending either team into the Fiba OQT Final against either Latvia or Cameroon.

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT semifinals 2024

Coach Aleksandar Petrovic characterized fellow coach Tim Cone and the Filipinos, who have so far surprised the tournament–and themselves, as a “highly technical” team and he knows his team will have its hands full trying to contain them.

“The Philippines is a completely different team to [Cameroon]. It’s a highly technical team with excellent players who play one-on-one, four or five of them play more than 33 minutes,” said Petrovic after Brazil lost to Cameroon early Friday but still wound up as the top team in Group B.

Gilas Pilipinas tim cone latvia Philippines Fiba OQT schedule

Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone during a Fiba OQT Riga game against world No. 6 Latvia. –FIBA BASKETBALL

Gilas Pilipinas will lean on its trusty hero Justin Brownlee against the world No. 12, while the Brazilians tout several NBA talents led by their main man Bruno Caboclo.

READ: Gilas faces Brazil with Paris Olympics just two wins away

But the lack of winning history and the disparity in the world rankings shouldn’t faze Brownlee and Gilas Pilipinas, who have shown they have what it takes to beat higher-ranked teams after upsetting world No. 6 Latvia and eliminating No. 23 Georgia just a few days ago.

The Philippines has never beaten Brazil in any of their meetings in the 20th century between the 1950s to the 1970s. The last time these two teams faced off was in the semifinals of the 1978 World Championship for Men.

Saturday’s game will be an entirely different story for both sides.

“We are two games away from our dream so we need to forget who is not anymore with us. We need to find our energy, we need to find a way how to beat Philippines,” said Petrovic.



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Jeremy Miado braces for ‘young, hungry’ Japanese foe

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ONE Championship fighter Jeremy Miado makes his return for ONE Fight Night 23. –ONE CHAMPIONSHIP PHOTO

As he makes his ONE Championship return, Jeremy Miado knows the enormity of the task ahead against No. 4 ranked strawweight contender Hiroba Minowa.

Miado takes on Minowa on Saturday in ONE Fight Night 23  at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand with the goal of staying among the division’s top fighters.

“From what I’ve seen from Minowa, he’s someone who doesn’t give up. He really has that fighter’s heart. He’s young and hungry,” Miado said of his Japanese foe.

READ: ONE: Jeremy Miado aims to climb strawweight ladder

“We’re both coming off bad streaks, and we both know that this is our way back to relevancy. I expect him to come out ready. It’s all about formulating the proper game plan.”

Planning is crucial for Miado’s game plan against Minowa, especially since he is once again facing a wrestler–a source of weakness as seen in his last few fights.

“His strengths will be his wrestling, that’s a given. I expect him to time my strikes and switch for a takedown,” Miado said.

READ: Jeremy Miado gets TKO win as Lito Adiwang injures knee

“On my end, my advantage would be my footwork. I plan to make things difficult for him when he’s shooting and use my length to maximize my advantage on the range.”

Miado is also banking on the motivation that this upcoming fight could catapult his career.

“We’re talking about my career here,” he said. “That’s what this fight means for me. I’m gonna give it my all, you’re gonna see it all. I’m not going to lose here.”



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Clint Escamis braces for tougher challenge in Season 100

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Mapua Cardinals’ Clint Escamis during the Collegiate Press Corps Awards Night. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Clint Escamis will have to represent Mapua in the NCAA Season 100 without his usual partner-in-crime, Paolo Hernandez.

Before the centennial season of the NCAA, Cardinal sniper Hernandez announced that he would be forgoing his final playing for Mapua, leaving Season 99 MVP Escamis alone in the driver’s seat.

“Before Season 99, he already told me it’s his last playing season,” said Escamis at the 2024 Collegiate Press Corps Awards Night at Discovery Suites in Ortigas on Monday.

READ: NCAA: Clint Escamis, Paolo Hernandez show brotherhood amid finals loss

“I got sad, of course, but that’s his decision. I told him good luck and wished him all the best. There’s pressure and at the same time, it’s an opportunity to rise to the occasion, especially with our loss last year.”

The tandem of Hernandez and Escamis brought the Cardinals to greater heights last year.

After missing out on the Final Four in Season 98, Mapua got the biggest shot in the arm with the resurgence of Hernandez and Escamis; a duo that already materialized during their high school days with the Red Robins.

However, Mapua faltered to San Beda in three games in the Finals, prematurely ending the stellar stint of Escamis and Hernandez together.

READ: NCAA: Mapua’s Clint Escamis wins Rookie of the Year, MVP

Now with a younger core and improved swingmen in tow, Escamis is excited to run it back and hope for a greater outcome with the new Cardinals.

“We can bounce back now especially since we have recruits who underwent residency last year. We also have improving sophomores from last season who didn’t play much last year. They’ll have bigger roles this season and I can count on them.”

Another thing that Escamis is also looking forward to, other than bouncing back, is defending his MVP award.

Escamis won not just the MVP award but also the Rookie of the Year plum for Season 99 after posting norms of 16.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.6 steals per game.

Now with his second season loading, he hopes to achieve the same feat and more.



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“Of course, we can only go up from here. Hopefully I go back-to-back and get my first title this year. That’s the goal.”