Aquino assures Gilas Women will remain driven despite long respite they face

National team coach Pat Aquino and the Gilas Pilipinas Women. –FRANCIS OCHOA

There won’t be any global platforms for Gilas Pilipinas Women to showcase its mettle in the coming months until halfway through next year, but national coach Pat Aquino believes the recent tournaments have lit a big enough fire under his charges to keep them hungry until the next opportunity.

“We want to keep things competitive all the time, so (the outlook is) every tournament is one step closer to what we want to achieve. I know the fire continues to burn in the girls,” Aquino told the Inquirer on Sunday.

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The Nationals last saw action in August during the Pre-Qualifying tournament geared towards the Fiba Women’s World Cup that will be held in Berlin, Germany, in 2026.

Aquino and the crew led by program cornerstone Jack Danielle Animam dropped all of their three matches to finish dead last in Kigali, Rwanda, but not without taking home valuable lessons from the campaign, the program’s first-ever appearance on the world stage.

The Women’s program will have a chance to cash in on whatever learnings they had during that bid when they play in the Fiba Asia Cup in Shenzen, China, in July.

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Aquino said a big chunk of his optimism is anchored on Animam’s continued progress, with the center, the face of the team the last five years, again landing a contract in Europe. INQ