FOR GIVING the country the silver medal that felt more than gold, the Gilas Pilipinas men’s basketball team will be feted with the Athlete of the Year award in the prestigious Philippine Sportswriters Association Annual Awards Night this January 25 at the Solaire Resort and Casino in Pasay City.
The Gilas Pilipinas became the toast of the town in August of last year for grabbing the silver medal in the Fiba-Asia Men’s Championship held here in the country for the first time in 40 years.
That gallant campaign was highlighted by their stirring win over rivals, Korea, in the semifinals that gave the country a stint in the Fiba World Cup which will be staged this year in Spain. The Nationals eventually lost to champions, Iran, in the championship game.
The feat was the highest achievement of the men’s national team since it won it all in the 1985 edition of the competition, when it was still known as the Asian Basketball Confederation Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Gilas Pilipinas became just the fourth team to be recognized as Athlete of the Year by the sports organization composed of editors, writers, and columnists from the national dailies, tabloids, and websites. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio