GILAS Pilipinas arrived in China on Thursday for the 2019 Fiba Basketball World Cup.
In photos posted on the Facebook page of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), Gilas Pilipinas were seen being greeted by a Filipinos at the Guangzhou airport before riding a bus bound for Foshan where the national squad will be playing.
The nationals arrived in China two days before playing tjeir first game in the World Cup against Italy on Saturday.
Gilas head coach Yeng Guiao is banking on the support by the Filipinos not just in China but also those who will make the trip to Foshan.
“Sayang nga lang, sabi ko kung may Filipino Pogo (Philippine offshore gaming operations) community lang doon, mas marami sana. Pero we will rely on a lot of Filipino basketball fans who are flying to China,” said Guiao.
“Merong grupo na talagang naghanda, nag-ipon to be in China to watch our games. We are very thankful to them to cheer for us. Siyempre hindi gaano karamihan ‘yun. We will also rely on the prayers of our countrymen who can’t make the trip to China,” Guiao said.
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