Buhos ngayon ang papuri ng mga mambabatas sa panalong nakamit ng Philippine national basketball team na Gilas Pilipinas sa 19th Asian Games.
Ito’y matapos makuha ng koponan ang gintong medalya na naging mailap sa nakalipas na 61 taon.
Tinalo ng Gilas ang Jordan sa score na 70-60.
Ayon kay CIBAC party-list Rep. Bro. Eddie Villanueva, hindi lamang ito dagdag karangalan sa ating sports history bagkus ay patunay sa determinasyon ng mga Pilipino na bumangon mula sa mga hamong kinahaharap.
“The stunning victory of Gilas Pilipinas is not only an additional accolade in our national sports history. It also gives us in such as time as this a needed inspiration and sense of confidence that we can emerge victorious amidst all challenges and hardships that we are braving now as a nation. We join with the entire Philippine nation in celebrating this monumental victory in international sports. To God be the glory!” sabi ni Villanueva.
Para naman kay Bicol Saro Partylist Rep. Brian Yamsuan, ang panalo ng Gilas ay panalo ng sambayanang Pilipino.
Nararapat lamang aniyang bigyang pugay ang koponan sa kanilang pag-uwi ng gintong medalya sa Asian Games matapos ang mahigit anim na dekadang paghihintay.
“Know that a proud and grateful nation awaits your return dahil ang tagumpay n’yo ay tagumpay ng buong sambayanang Pilipino. Mabuhay kayo!” ani Yamsuan
Binigyang pugay din ni Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte ang buong koponan ng Gilas, kasama ang naturalized player nito na si Justice Brownlee at coaching team sa pangunguna ni Tim Cone.
Aniya naibalik ng Gilas ang Pilipinas bilang ‘king of hoops’.
“Nagpakitang gilas ang Gilas. Truly, puso is in their DNA. It was a slam dunk for Gilas as it put our basketball-crazed nation back to its erstwhile status as the king of hoops in this part of the world at the end of an uphill campaign that saw it winning by a single point, one after the other, against Asia’s two powerhouses–China and Iran—before exacting revenge on up-and-coming Jordan, which dealt its lone loss in this quadrennial tournament,” sabi ng kongresista.
Ipinaabot din ni Villafuerte ang pagbati sa iba pang pinoy athletes na lumaban sa Asian games at nakasungkit ng podium finish. | ulat ni Kathleen Jean Forbes
