BOCAUE – History was missed by just a few minutes.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr fell a few minutes late of throwing the ceremonial toss in the main game of the FIBA World Cup opening day between Gilas Pilipinas and Dominican Republic before a mammoth crowd at the Philippine Arena.
READ: Fiba World Cup attendance record belongs to Philippines
The Chief Executive was supposed to do the tipoff for the 8 p.m. game, but was ushered to courtside at around 8:02 p.m. when the match was already underway and Dwight Ramos having converted the first basket for the host country.
Marcos Jr. could have reprised the act his late father President Marcos Sr. did 45 years ago when he did the ceremonial toss when the country first hosted basketball’s most prestigious event in 1978 at the Araneta Coliseum.
Nonetheless, FIBA president Hamane Niang, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) chief Al S. Panlilio were there to welcome the President, along with San Miguel president and CEO Ramon S. Ang, and Metro Pacific CEO and SBP Chairman Emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan.
This marked the second time the young Marcos attended and watched a Gilas game since being elected to the country’s highest post last year. He was at ringside when the Philippines hosted one of two games during the fourth window of the World Cup qualifiers in August of 2022.
The Chief Executive, who was later joined by son Sandro, also a congressman from the first district of Ilocos Norte, stayed for the entire game and watched as Gilas Pilipinas lost a close one against Karl-Anthony Towns and the Dominican Republic, 87-81.
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