Jack Animam on Gilas Women’s first Asia Cup Division A win: ‘This is just the start’

For the primary time since being promoted to Division A in 2015, the Philippine ladies’s basketball crew is not going dwelling empty-handed within the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup.

Gilas Pilipinas Women confirmed off all of their wares on Wednesday to tug off a 92-81 assertion win towards their common tormentor Chinese Taipei, who had overwhelmed the Filipinas by landslide of their two earlier conferences in the identical contest.

Chinese Taipei defeated the Philippines within the 2021 version with a 93-52 triumph whereas 5 years earlier than that, they eked out an 87-53 victory, and each events noticed Gilas end with a winless slate.

But the Philippines was capable of flip the tides this time round and longtime nationwide crew participant Jack Animam vowed it is not the final.

“It was really special. All the things that we’ve been through being here in FIBA Asia, you know, people always have something to say,” the 6-foot-5 middle mentioned within the post-game interview.

“But I think this is a testament with this program and with everybody behind, especially the sacrifices that we players put in.”

Personally, the win additionally marked a particular triumph for Animam.

The former NU Lady Bulldog standout needed to be sidelined for a yr after sustaining an ACL damage in late 2021, which prevented her from suiting up for the nationwide crew within the thirty first SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam final yr.

She returned this yr and was capable of reinforce the crew within the Cambodia SEA Games, the place they completed with a silver medal each within the 3×3 and 5-on-5 competitions.

“You know, coming back from an ACL (injury), this is like my redemption year,” Animam added.

“I don’t know if I’m gonna be the same Jack I was before and getting this win, this means so much not just for us but back home also.”

Animam and Gilas Women will look to create extra historical past as they go up towards world no. 29 New Zealand on Friday for the best to enter the semifinals.

“This win is just like the icing of the cake and I think we played for ourselves knowing that we have a bigger responsibility on what this win means to the women’s basketball community in the Philippines,” she mentioned.

“And I think this is just the start of greater things for this program.”

—Bea Micaller, JKC/GMA Integrated News