Cage crown is ‘worth a thousand golds’

HANGZHOU – In the eyes of POC president Abraham Tolentino, the victory in men’s basketball “is worth a thousand golds.”

With due respect to the others who won medals and the many more who tried but did not succeed, Gilas Pilipinas’ 70-60 victory over Jordan in the final last Friday at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium will never be forgotten.

“Of course we have (gold medalists) EJ Obiena and Meggie Ochoa and Annie Ramirez from Jiu-jitsu and all our other athletes,” said Tolentino on the penultimate day of the 19th Asian Games.

“But that (gold in basketball) was worth a thousand golds,” added the mayor from Tagaytay City after the country finally returned to the top in the sport most popular among Filipinos.

It was in 1962 in Jakarta, with a team led by the late Caloy Loyzaga and Kurt Bachmann, when the Filipinos last kissed the gold medal in men’s basketball.

With the celebration that stretched all the way back home, Team Philippines improved its medal tally here to four gold, two silver and 12 bronze medals with one more day of competition.

The Games will formally end tonight. Then it’s on to the 20th edition in Nagoya, Japan in 2026.

The prayers of an entire nation helped make it happen.

“It’s God’s will. Our prayers were answered,” Tolentino told reporters during a visit to the sprawling Media Village yesterday morning.

Tolentino witnessed Gilas’ victory in the final, and after the final buzzer sounded kept flashing his four fingers, representing the four golds.

“Sabi ko sa inyo, apat. Sabi ko, at least four,” he said.

It could have been five, according to Tolentino, who reminded everyone of Eumir Marcial’s bitter loss to a Chinese boxer in the gold-medal match of the men’s 80kg class.

Marcial settled for the silver but got more than that – a ticket to next year’s Paris Olympics.

“Actually five gold medals won all in all, counting Eumir’s silver,” Tolentino said.

“Para sa akin, gold ‘yun,” added Tolentino, one of those who tried to convince Marcial to put his pro career on the side so he could compete here and give a second stint at the Olympics a shot.

But it’s not over yet, as Filipino athletes in a handful more sports were vying for medals in the remaining events here.

“There are more chances, let’s see,” Tolentino said.