‘Twas a year like no other first of two parts

MANILA, Philippines — The year that we’re all bidding goodbye was perhaps the busiest year ever for Philippine sports.

The Year of the Rabbit almost had it all, a smorgasbord, for the sports-loving nation of over 117 million people. Gladly, it had more ups than downs, more victories than defeats, more thrills than agony.

This alone makes 2023 one of, if not the most memorable.

From basketball, highlighted by the rare hosting of a truly global event and, on a different stage, a gold medal that came after 61 long years, to track and field, women’s football, tennis, volleyball and the combat sport of jiu-jitsu, among others, wonderful stories were told and written, headlines spread.

The STAR Sports Staff came up with its own list of the greatest moments for Philippine sports in 2023.

Read on.

1. Basketball Supremacy

For Gilas Pilipinas, the year began with an itinerary like no other. In a span of six months, from May until October, the squad faced the biggest battles known to them – Southeast Asian Games, FIBA World Cup and Asian Games.

The final tally: two gold medals and a successful hosting.

The Filipinos regained the SEA Games gold that they sadly lost to Indonesia the previous year, this time beating Cambodia, the host squad that was littered with imports, in the final. For the 19th time, the Filipinos won the gold they should never lose again.

Then the FIBA World Cup hosting came, and Gilas managed to put on a show despite failing to land in the knockout stage. But in the end, it was the great hosting that counted before a worldwide audience.

And lastly, the Hangzhou Asian Games campaign that got off on the wrong foot but ended with Gilas players smiling from ear to ear, taking selfies at centercourt, gold medals hanging from their necks.

Gilas tapped Tim Cone as interim coach after Chot Reyes “stepped aside” a month before the Games. Then its request for late inclusions of a handful players were denied, and their final replacements, eligible ones, barely made the trip. For a while, there were talks of a withdrawal.

But in the end, Gilas, starring naturalized player Justin Brownlee, delivered. An unforgettable victory over China in the semis then over Jordan in the final capped the glorious campaign. It was the country’s first Asian Games gold in men’s basketball since 1962. The long wait was finally over.

“We found the way,” were the words The STAR squeezed from Cone on his way out of a lengthy post-game press conference.

Yes, there’s a way.

2. The Greatest Show

The FIBA Basketball World Cup came back home to the Philippines after 45 long years.

And boy, was it one grand homecoming.

For a good two weeks, the nation where basketball is a religion hosted 52 matches at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Mall of Asia Arena and the Philippine Arena, wowing the visiting teams and supporters with its unmatched passion for the game, in addition to the renowned Filipino hospitality and warmth.

The Philippines, which first hosted the world meet back in 1978, was the lead host in a historic tri-country staging with Japan and Indonesia. And as designed, basketball-crazy Pinoys opened the 2023 hoopfest with a bang.

With 38,115 on hand to watch Gilas Pilipinas against the Dominican Republic at the cavernous arena in Bocaue, including President Marcos, the hosts set a new FBWC record for a single game. This turnout erased the old 32,616 mark recorded when the US Dream Team 2 demolished Russia in the 1994 final, 137-91, in Toronto, Canada.

“Ever since we put in the bid to host the World Cup in 2015, the mission was to showcase the Filipino people’s love for basketball,” SBP chairman emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan said. “We often say we’re the best fans in the world, but beating the old FIBA attendance record has proven what we have believed all along.”

Jordan Clarkson and Gilas also gave home fans a nice gift before wrapping up their FBWC campaign.

After heartbreakers at the hands of the Dominican Republic, Angola and Italy in the first round and a letdown against South Sudan at the start of classification play, the Nationals broke regional rival China, 96-75.

Clarkson delivered an insane shooting performance spiked by four straight treys in the game-changing third period en route to 34 points.

The win wasn’t a mere morale booster for the home squad (1-4). It enabled Gilas to finish 24th in the 32-team field while earning a spot in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, as well.

When the smoke of battle pitting an array of NBA and international stars settled, Germany hoisted its first WC crown. Led by Dennis Schroder, the Germans beat Bogdan Bogdanovic and Serbia, 83-77, in front of a 12,002-strong crowd in the championship game.

Overall, it was a roaring success.

3. New Heights for EJ

If there’s a year that the world, not just the Philippines, saw the emergence of the best version of Filipino pole vault star EJ Obiena, it was undoubtedly 2023.

In a span of a year, Obiena gathered together a piece of impressive collage of glorious efforts after glorious efforts, the most illustrious of which was when he zoomed to No. 2 in the world rankings.

That feat put him a shadow behind the dragon of the sport – the mighty Swedish world and Olympic champion and record-holder Arman Duplantis.

The Asian titan from Tondo, Manila also reached the Mount Everest of the sport after he breached the mythical six-meter plateau in an exhilarating performance at the Sparebanken Vest Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway last June 12.

He joined that elite group that breathed the same rarified air that only 27 others could, including Hall-of-Famer Sergey Bubka, who was the greatest before the mighty Duplantis emerged from the ashes.

It was made more impressive that Obiena was the only Asian from that galactic pack.

And Obiena did it twice.

It came around a month and a half later in Budapest, Hungary where he did 6m in claiming a historic silver medal in the World Athletics Championships, surpassing the bronze he won in Eugene, Oregon the year before.

Obiena also booked a slot to the 2024 Paris Olympics after a 5.82m in the Bauhaus Galan in Stockholm, Sweden last July 3.

In Paris, he hopes to deliver the country’s first medal in the sport since Miguel White’s bronze medal in the 400m hurdles in the 1936 Berlin Games.

Possibly, if the stars align, he could steal a miraculous gold over Duplantis.

Expect Obiena to come at Duplantis stronger in 2024.

4. Filipinas Shine

There’s football’s centerpiece event and the Philippines – two things that normally wouldn’t go side by side.

However, in 2023, what some had considered unthinkable, if not downright impossible, materialized.

Basketball-crazy and football minnows Philippines took its place among the elite teams in the FIFA Women’s World Cup in the chilly pitches of New Zealand.

Being there as a qualifier was an achievement in itself.

But the amazing women’s team that goes by the pet name Filipinas, took it further. Against tremendous odds, the first-time World Cuppers became first-time World Cup game-winners.

After a close 0-1 loss to fancied Switzerland in Dunedin, the Filipinas served up a famous 1-0 upset of host New Zealand in Wellington.

Sarina Bolden delivered a booming header at the 24th minute that sent shockwaves around the Wellington Regional Stadium, spilling into Manila’s well-attended watch parties.

With goalkeeper and eventual player of the game Olivia McDaniel leading a resolute defending for the next 75-plus minutes, the Filipinas preserved this lead and entered the record books with a milestone dub.

This sent Pinoys among the 32,357-strong crowd as well as supporters back home in a frenzy, celebrating the feat that goes down as probably the greatest in Philippine football history.

Alen Stajcic’s remarkable crew would eventually bow out of the race for the second round with a 6-0 beating at the hands of Norway at the end of group play in Auckland’s iconic Eden Park.

But the Filipinas left the WC with heads unbowed, planting the seeds for more to come.

5. Slaying Dragons

For the first time since 2019, the PBA played a full calendar of three conferences.

Starting in June 2022, Asia’s first play-for-pay league offered thrilling hardcourt action all the way through April 2023.

Three teams emerged as champions – San Miguel Beer in the Philippine Cup, Barangay Ginebra in the Commissioner’s Cup and TNT Tropang Giga in the Governors’ Cup.

The crowd darlings’ conquest of the mid-season conference had a nationalistic flavor in it. They went through not just the usual suspects but also a powerhouse guest team from Hong Kong.

The Bay Area Dragons, handled by multi titled Australian Brian Goorjian and reinforced by former NBA players Andrew Nicholson and Myles Powell, arrived like a massive invasion force threatening to wipe out the locals.

Until Tim Cone and the Gin Kings stood forward to repel the invaders.

Led by newly-minted Pinoy Justin Brownlee and local aces Scottie Thompson and Christian Standhardinger, the Gin Kings fought the Dragons fiercely in an epic showdown for the jewel and ultimately won in seven.

Clincher was a 114-99 verdict in front of a happy crowd of 54,589 at the Philippine Arena.

This massive turnout shattered the old all-time high attendance of 54,086 that came to watch Game 7 of the 2017 Governors’ Cup likewise involving the Kings opposite Meralco held also at the world’s largest indoor arena.

PBA chairman Ricky Vargas said the PBA’s revenue growth is “nearing pre-pandemic level.”

“That just goes to show the PBA is slowly, surely getting back on track,” the TNT executive said in his chairman’s report for Season 47.