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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Strong Group faces UAE in Jones Cup opener

Strong Group faces UAE in Jones Cup opener

Published Jul 12, 2024 05:33 am

At A Glance

  • Strong Group-Pilipinas is all locked in as it opens the competition against the United Arab Emirates in the 43rd William Jones Cup in Taiwan on Saturday, July 13.

Strong Group-Pilipinas is all locked in as it opens the competition against the United Arab Emirates in the 43rd William Jones Cup in Taiwan on Saturday, July 13.

 

SGA-192.jpg
Kiefer Ravena and DJ Fenner with SGA coach Charles Tiu (SGA)

 

Game time is set at 1 p.m. for the Charles Tiu-coached Strong Group which is looking to surpass its silver medal finish in the 33rd Dubai International Championship earlier this year. 

Interestingly for the 35-year-old tactician, he has the upper hand against the revenge-seeking UAE after leading a different Strong Group lineup to an 82-66 victory over the former last January. 

Although the squad is composed of almost entirely a different roster this time, Tiu is upbeat of their chances against this year’s nine-team tournament. 

All teams will compete in a single-round robin format with the best-performing squad claiming the championship title. 

With its promising roster mixed of young standouts, national team veterans and a select Fil-foreign talents, Tiu is also seeking to add a third title to his coaching resume in Jones Cup after first winning it in 2016 and the last time in 2019 with the Mighty Sports. 

In 2019, before the pandemic wound up shelving three editions of the pocket tournament, Mighty Sports went all the way undefeated to the title — a feat which was repeated by USA’s University of California Irvine Anteaters last year. 

There, losses piled up for the Philippines which was represented by PBA’s Rain or Shine Elasto Painters who settled for a seventh-place finish. 

Strong Group will be seeing action virtually daily except on the 16th until the end of the tournament with defending champion now a revamped Future Sports USA led by former Strong Group import McKenzie Moore standing in the way. 

Gilas mainstay Kiefer Ravena will be captaining the team alongside Jordan Heading, naturalized Filipino Ange Kouame, Rhenz Abando, Geo Chiu, and PBA draftees Dave Ildefonso, RJ Abarrientos and Caelan Tiongson. 

Incoming college freshman Jonathan Manalili is also joined by Allen Liwag and Tony Ynot, who were with Tiu in Dubai. 

Christian McCullough, Tajuan Agee and DJ Fenner complete the Strong Group rotation. 

The Philippine squad flew to Taiwan a day prior to the competition after playing in a tuneup match against the Magnolia Hotshots. 


 


 

Strong Group's game schedule: 

 

July 13, Saturday, 1 p.m. - vs UAE 

July 14, Sunday, 1 p.m. - vs Australia's BSBL Guardians

July 15, Monday, 5 p.m. - vs Ukraine

July 17 Wednesday, 5 p.m. - vs Malaysia

July 18, Thursday, 1 p.m. - vs Future Sports USA

July 19, Friday, 1 p.m. - vs Japan U22

July 20, Saturday, 5 p.m. - vs China White 

July 21, Sunday, 7 p.m. - vs China Blue

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Kiefer Ravena Strong Group Charles Tiu
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