SURAKARTA, Indonesia – Banking heavily on Alfie Cabanog’s inside game, the Philippines came from behind to stun Indonesia 15-10 in the men’s 3×3 wheelchair basketball event for the country’s first win in the 11th ASEAN Para Games at the GOR Sritex Arena Saturday.
Down 0-2 early in the game, the Filipinos rallied through the sterling post-play of Cabanog, who then combined with Kenneth Tapia in a pivotal 6-1 run in the stretch that broke a 9-all deadlock on the way to their initial triumph in the four-team, single-round series.
The win softened somewhat the early exit of their women’s counterparts, who absorbed back-to-back losses to Thailand and Laos by scores of 0-11 and 1-6, respectively.
Thailand crushed Cambodia 16-4 and Indonesia 18-2 in succession to seize the top spot in men’s play and assured itself of a ticket in the championship match where the top two squads battle for the gold while the remaining teams dispute the bronze medal.
The Filipinos take on the Thais at 11:30 a.m. (12:30 p.m. in Manila) Sunday before facing the Cambodians at 1 p.m. (2 p.m. in Manila), with a victory over the latter ensuring themselves a crack at the gold medal.
“We didn’t see our Indonesian opponents until we saw them on the floor. But when I saw Alfie was taller than them, I drew up plays to feed him the ball inside the paint,” said national coach Vernon Perea of the strategy that led his charges to victory. If we beat Cambodia tomorrow then we are assured of facing Thailand in the finals,” said the bespectacled coach.
“Masayang-masaya po kami at binigay namin ang best para matalo ang Indonesia,” said Cabanog, a native of Montawal Maguindanao, North Cotabato, who had eight big points or virtually half of the team’s output.
The player credited Perea’s patient coaching for his vast improvement since joining the national team in the 2017 ASEAN Para Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
With the Filipinos gaining the upper hand, the hosts tried to stall for time in questioning the height of Cabanog’s wheelchair, prompting technical officials to stop the match for a couple of minutes to re-measuring it. But this lull could not stop the momentum of their rivals as Tapia, who had seven points, saw the opening he needed as Cabanog was double-teamed in putting the game away with his clutch drives.