SGA defends Jones Cup

The William Jones Cup International Basketball Tournament was founded in honor of the Englishman who served as FIBA’s secretary-general for 44 years. In almost half a century with only five cancellations due to unforeseen reasons, the Philippines has worn the cup seven times. The current champions, Strong Group Athletics, are preparing to defend their title with eight returning players. They face additional pressure, as the Philippine national women’s team has been struggling with the extremely high level of competition.

“We were so happy with how it turned out last year, the Filipino fans, the following that we had and the honor we were able to bring, our boss Frank (Lao), thought we should run it up again, and hopefully win it more convincingly this time,” says head coach Charles Tiu, who also coaches College of St. Benilde.

For once, Tiu will have the advantage of familiarity with his players, as the core of the 2024 champion team returns. Veterans like Kiefer Ravena, Rhenz Abando, Ange Kouame and Dave Ildefonso are determined to win the cup again. Save for one new import, everyone else on the roster has been coached by Charles at one point or another.

“First of all, SGA has been giving a lot of chances to players like me,” says Korean league veteran Rhenz Abando. “I’m very eager to play while I’m still looking for a team.”

“During the off-season you want to stay in shape; I want to prepare for the upcoming season in Japan,” adds Kiefer Ravena. “I get to be around former teammates, learn from Coach Charles and Coach TY (Tang). As a real basketball geek, I continuously want to learn. So that’s why I keep saying yes to boss Frank and SGA.”

Of the nine participating teams, SGA is so far the only club that is not a national team or a national developmental team. Two teams represent the host country Chinese Taipei. Japan, Malaysia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates are all fielding national squads. Australia has not yet announced who it will be sending. It will be another tough climb for the Philippines. 

“The familiarity factor is a big thing,” Tiu adds. “I like to keep it simple. Just get character guys, smart guys, and we can make the most out of this situation. Because that’s really our disadvantage, the short preparation time. But no excuse, we just have to find a way to win.”

The Jones Cup for men next weekend will also be a great opportunity for Filipino basketball fans to watch their countrymen who’ve been playing abroad. Thanks to SGA, the Philippines has a team other than Gilas Pilipinas bringing honor to the country.

The SGA Jones Cup team is also featured on Basketball Universe PHL on YouTube and Facebook.