By ANGELO CAPARAS
Intern
Bonn Daja and Rhiane Perez punched their tickets to The One global basketball tournament hosted by the Jordan Brand after dominating the Manila qualifiers at the Flight Deck in Taguig City last Saturday, June 28.
Daja, a former Gilas Youth standout from De La Salle Zobel, imposed his will and cruised past Jose Marie Mabang, 13-3 to cap off a scintillating finals performance.
“Ang advantage ko po talaga ay ‘yung height ko, tsaka yung mentality ko po na gusto ko talaga manalo. I want to go to New York po talaga,” said the 6-foot-4 cager.
In the girls’ finals, Perez of the UST Junior Growling Tigresses routed DAYO23 one-on-one champion Mako Namiki to punch her ticket to the championship.
The Iloilo rising star torched her opponent, 11-0, in a match that only lasted 1 minute and 55 seconds.
Daja and Perez each received ₱20,000 and earned spots in The One global finals this August in New York, where they’ll go head-to-head against elite one-on-one players from over 15 cities worldwide, including Belgrade, Chicago, Hong Kong, Paris, and Tokyo.
Nike’s Country Marketing Head emphasized that the event reflected the skills and competitive spirit of Filipino youth in the basketball scene.
“These winners embody ‘The One’ mentality, and we’re thrilled to support them as they continue their journey to chase greatness in New York. We’re all eager to see them bring the Pinoy brand of basketball to the global stage,” he added.