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Newsome sees Gilas Women making world stage soon: 'They deserve to be there'

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Levi Joshua Verora Jr.

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Members of the Gilas Women" s="" squad="" in="" a="" joint="" training="" with="" the="" Gilas="" Pilipinas="" team.="" Mark="" ABS-CBN="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/09/17/20230914-gilas-practice-public-md-9103.jpg"/><figcaption>Members of the Gilas Women&#x27;s squad in a joint training with the Gilas Pilipinas men&#x27;s team. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA -- Gilas Pilipinas wing man Chris Newsome sees the 37th-ranked Gilas Women taking its program to the next level soon. &quot;It should just be a matter of time before they start making a splash on the world stage,&quot; Newsome said.&quot;They&#x27;re all really hardworking, they&#x27;ve got a great coach, they&#x27;ve got a great program over there.&quot;The men&#x27;s and women&#x27;s senior national teams recently conducted a joint practice at the PhilSports Arena last Thursday, and Newsome said he is personally fond of seeing their female counterparts succeed in the highest stage as well.&quot;I think them making this Asian Games appearance is already proof that they deserve to be there and that they’re improving their game,&quot; the Meralco Bolts veteran said.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/09/13/23/gilas-women-rise-in-fiba-rankings">Gilas Women rise in FIBA rankings</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/09/16/23/gilas-enters-inspire-sports-academy-for-crucial-phase-of-training">Gilas enters Inspire Sports Academy for crucial phase of training</a></li></ul>&quot;I wish them the best of luck, I know they’re capable of great things.&quot;Women&#x27;s basketball has been deeply ingrained in Newsome&#x27;s heart; aside from being a men&#x27;s national team mainstay since getting FIBA local eligibility status, he also manages a women&#x27;s 3x3 squad called the New waves.The 33-year-old PBA veteran explained that deciding to put up his own team is his little help to provide players with opportunities and continue growing the sport locally.&quot;That’s my share to help with women’s basketball,&quot; he shared. &quot;They’re so grateful as well. Just seeing them be able to lace up their shoes and go out and play the game that they love, that’s all the satisfaction that I need.&quot;Expectations will be high for Gilas Women in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China after their breakthrough sixth-place finish in the FIBA Women&#x27;s Asia Cup.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/09/13/23/gilas-men-women-to-hold-joint-practice">Gilas Men, Women to hold joint practice</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/09/16/23/cones-immediate-goal-for-gilas-improve-every-day">Cone&#x27;s immediate goal for Gilas? Improve every day</a></li></ul>Coach Patrick Aquino&#x27;s team is again grouped with Japan, the Asia Cup silver medalists and 2018 Asian Games bronze medalists, as well as Kazakhstan and Hong Kong.The longtime women&#x27;s basketball mentor said he is approaching the ladies&#x27; first Asian Games appearance with both excitement and the responsibility to perform well.&quot;First time ever in the Asian Games, it’s like the Olympics in Asia. A lot of expectations from us after the wonderful Asia Cup, so we just hope we can represent the country well. Lagi naman, dapat laban lagi at puso,&quot; Aquino said.Newsome also urged Filipino basketball fans to keep on supporting the women&#x27;s program in their competitions for them to receive the same level of recognition as the men&#x27;s side.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/08/16/23/after-world-cup-sbp-plans-to-host-events-for-gilas-women">After FIBA World Cup, SBP plans to host events for Gilas Women</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/09/15/23/gilas-rises-to-no-38-in-fiba-world-rankings">Gilas rises to No. 38 in FIBA rankings despite disappointing World Cup performance</a></li></ul>&quot;It&#x27;s very important because they put just the same amount of time into their craft as we do, if not more, so they really worked hard, diligently, I think it’s important to understand that the amount of work they put in doesn’t go unnoticed,&quot; he said.&quot;I think that’s important for all the kababayans out there to support them. This is what they do, and they don’t get the recognition that a lot of the guys get.&quot;RELATED VIDEO<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2hfmGN-9k9Y?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Gilas Pilipinas wing man Chris Newsome sees the 37th-ranked Gilas Women taking its program to the next level soon.