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FIBA World Cup: Why Kiefer broke down in tears after loss to Angola

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/sports/09/04/20190904-kiefer.jpg"/><figcaption>Kiefer Ravena said it was disappointing to hear the people putting the team down, and to know Gilas Pilipinas couldn&#x27;t give its fans something to cheer about.</figcaption></figure></div>FOSHAN, China—Gilas Pilipinas guard Kiefer Ravena could not hold back his tears after the national team succumbed to Angola in a heartbreaker on Wednesday at the Foshan International Sports and Cultural Center here.In its final game in Group D, Gilas Pilipinas <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/09/04/19/fiba-world-cup-pinoys-woes-extended-after-angola-loss-gilas-swept-in-group">bowed to Angola</a> in overtime, 84-81, to finish winless in group play. Ravena had a chance to send the game to a second overtime, but his 3-pointer hit iron as time expired.He broke down at the mixed zone after exiting the court, and later explained that he simply could not keep his emotions in check after yet another trying game for himself and the rest of Gilas Pilipinas.&quot;Naipon na lang din siguro &#x27;yun,&quot; said a calmer Ravena some 30 minutes after the game had concluded. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/09/04/19/fiba-world-cup-inexperience-led-to-perezs-late-game-blunder-says-guiao">Inexperience led to Perez&#x27;s late-game blunder, says Guiao</a></li></ul>For Ravena, the dam had burst. He had been overwhelmed by all the criticism lobbied at the team after back-to-back blowout losses to Italy and Serbia, and the defeat to Angola — a team Gilas could have beaten — was the last straw.&quot;We&#x27;ve been under so much fire, all throughout,&quot; said Ravena. &quot;Even before pa lang kami pumunta dito eh, parang kahit &#x27;yung mga ibang tao, hindi naniniwala na mananalo kami, &#x27;di ba?&quot;&quot;Ang masama doon, minsan yung mga kababayan mo pa,&quot; he added.According to Ravena, the biggest reason for their despair is they couldn&#x27;t give the hundreds of Filipinos who trooped to Foshan something to cheer about, particularly in their first two games. The Philippine crowd was more hyped and more vocal against Angola, particularly when Gilas rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter.But in the end, they still could not get the job done and send the Filipino fans home happy.&quot;Kaya lang din naman kami malungkot dahil hindi namin napapasaya &#x27;yung mga kababayan namin,&quot; said Ravena. &quot; &#x27;Yun lang naman &#x27;yung rason na &#x27;yun, more than anything else.&quot;&quot;Kami maglalaro kami para sa bayan, lagi naming sinisigaw. So hopefully &#x27;yung mga, tao, ganu&#x27;n din mag-cheer sa&#x27;min, manalo, matalo, nandoon din para sa amin,&quot; he added.Not all is lost for Gilas Pilipinas, as the team still has two games left in the <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/09/04/19/fiba-world-cup-after-failure-in-foshan-gilas-shifts-focus-on-beijing-games">classification phase</a>, and they&#x27;re still in the hunt for an Olympic berth following China&#x27;s loss to Venezuela.&quot;You know, that&#x27;s always been the dream — making it to the Olympics,&quot; said Ravena, who had 6 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals in the loss. &quot; &#x27;Yun naman ang gusto namin.&quot;&quot;It&#x27;s still there. Kinda blurry, but the picture&#x27;s still there. You just have to find a way to make it clearer and clearer until we can fully grasp that dream.&quot;For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

Ravena said it was disappointing to hear the people putting the team down, and to know Gilas Pilipinas couldn't give its fans something to cheer about.

Ravena said it was disappointing to hear the people putting the team down, and to know Gilas Pilipinas couldn't give its fans something to cheer about.

FIBA World Cup: Why Kiefer broke down in tears after loss to Angola

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FIBA World Cup: Why Kiefer broke down in tears after loss to Angola

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 04, 2019 10:41 PM PHT

Read More:

2019 FIBA World Cup

Gilas Pilipinas

Yeng Guiao

Kiefer Ravena

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