"Truly inspiring": Speaker Romualdez hails Gilas' hard-earned SEA Games crown
Gilas Pilipinas ace Justin Brownlee (center) celebrates after the team's Southeast Asian (SEA) Games triumph.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez can't help but feel inspired and proud over the Gilas Pilipinas national basketball team's gold medal finish in the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Cambodia. Gilas clawed their way back from a shocking loss to the host nation in their first game to reclaim the men's hoops title in the region. “It is truly inspiring to see the SEA Games basketball crown return to the Philippines. I commend and congratulate not only the players of Gilas Pilipinas but also the whole coaching staff and everyone who contributed to this exhilarating victory,” Romualdez said in a statement Wednesday, May 17. “You have once again made your country proud! May you all continue to be an inspiration and a source of great encouragement to the Filipino people, especially our youth, in persevering even if the odds are stacked against them,” added the Leyte 1st district congressman. The Justin Brownlee-led Gilas Pilipinas reclaimed the SEA Games basketball crown by downing host Cambodia in the finals with a score of 80-69. A week ago, Cambodia beat the Filipino cagers, 79-68. The loss was seen by some as an embarrassment. "But the perseverance of the Gilas Pilipinas team earned us back the championship trophy, even after suffering a loss to Cambodia in the early stages of the SEA Games. It is the hallmark of the Filipino fighting spirit and resilience that we can all learn from,” Romualdez said. “Again, my congratulations to Gilas Pilipinas. May this be the start of yet another streak that will last for decades to come," he further said. In 2022, Indonesia upset Gilas in the 31st SEA Games basketball final, breaking a streak of championships dating back to 1997.