Even the biggest backer of Philippine basketball could not hold back his disappointment over the Philippine men’s basketball team’s defeat to Cambodia in the Southeast Asian Games.
“What a disgraceful game for Gilas. An ignominious defeat which will be etched deeply in infamy,” said bilyonaryo Manny V. Pangilinan on Twitter just minutes after Cambodia trashed an uninspired Gilas team, 79-68, at the Morodok Techo Sport In Phnom Penh.
Pangilinan, who serves as the chairman emeritus of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), the national sport association for basketball in the Philippines, directed his disappointment towards the SBP, asking, “SBP – what happened?”
Senator Sonny Angara currently holds the position of chairman, while Al Panlilio, president of PLDT, serves as president of the organization. Chot Reyes, the former CEO of TV5, was personally chosen by Pangilinan as the coach for the Gilas team.
What a disgraceful game for Gilas. An ignominious defeat which will be etched deeply in infamy. SBP – what happened?
— Manny V. Pangilinan (@iamMVP) May 11, 2023