JAKARTA – The highly motivated and highly charged Discovery Perlas Pilipinas seeks to make history, trying to win for the country its first gold medal in the SEAG women’s basketball play when it plays Thailand at the BritAma Arena here today.
The Pinays and the Thais clash at 1 p.m. in the virtual final match of the short tourney where both have won their first two matches.
Coach Haydee Ong and her cagebelles are on a roll, driven by the desire to nail a record win after nailing the SEABA championship for the first time in Cebu last year.
Prior to that, the best any Phl ladies team has achieved was silver in the 1995 SEA Games in Chiang Mai.
“The team is determined to win the gold,” said Ong, though admitting they have their job cut out for them against the Thais.
Thailand has been a traditional SEAG championship contender, having a fierce rivalry with dethroned champion Malaysia.
Fil-Am forward Melissa Jacob insists they’re raring to beat the Thais with their drive and determination in a campaign they dedicate to fallen teammate Cassy Tioseco.
But Ong said they have to play heads-up game for 40 minutes if they’re to beat the Thais.
While the Philippines got a shot at the gold on its 64-56 whipping of Malaysia then a 57-39 rout of Myanmar, Thailand put itself in the same position in trouncing Indonesia, 61-56, then topping Malaysia, 74-59.
Just like against the Malaysians and the Burmese, the Pinays are smaller than the Thais.
Merenciana Arayi, Perlas Phl’s top gun, could well be on the radar of the Thais.