CONVERGE deputy Charles Tiu is expecting a ‘Ginebra-like treatment’ when Strong Group Athletics (SGA) returns to the Middle East to compete in the the 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship.
The SGA team finished runner-up last year and part of the reason was the unwavering support of the Filipino community in Dubai that made every game feel like a home match for the Philippine side.
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Tiu hopes this year won’t be any different.
“One thing we always look forward to (sa Dubai), parang home court natin du’n. So we're always excited to put on a good show for them,” the SGA head coach said.
“It's nice, actually. Parang du’n, feeling mo Ginebra ka, nagchi-cheer sa’yo lahat talaga so that's something we look forward to and we're always thankful for their support.”
SGA is not the only Philippine team in the tournament. It will be joined by the Zamboanga Valientes and its presence may split the OFW support. But Tiu said it is the least of his concerns.
“I don't really think about that. I'm sure they'll support whichever Filipino team we have out there. We'll just perform our best. The fans will come if they like our team,” Tiu said.
What encourages Tiu the most about SGA’s oncoming Dubai redemption bid is having what he calls a ‘much better team’ than last year. The team then had former NBA star Dwight Howard and UAAP MVPs Kevin Quiambao and JD Cagulangan.
Among those in the SGA lineup are former NBA star DeMarcus Cousins and TNT import and former PBA MVP Mikey Williams as well as former college stars Rhenz Abando and Dave Ildefonso.
“I really feel this year I think we have a better chance. I think we have a really good group of local players. That's going to be a big difference for us.
“We can control what we have, which is our preparation. We have two more practices but unfortunately, this time we won't have a single tune-up game before the tournament starts.”
Tiu added: “We'll figure it out. I think we have smart players, a good group of guys, and we should be ready for the tournament on Friday.”
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