Camille Naredo

Gilas Pilipinas battles Hong Kong in the  FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers in Pasay City on November 24, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

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FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers

Romwel Anzures

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/173253921924920241124-fiba-gilas-hongkong-MQD_3382-MD.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone and team manager Alfrancis Chua. Photo by Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News."/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone and team manager Alfrancis Chua. <em>Photo by Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News.</em></span></span></span>MANILA — Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone and his vision for the national team has been working wonders.</div><p>They are currently 4-0 in Group B of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, with their latest victims being the World’s No. 22 team New Zealand and Hong Kong. These victories earned them a spot in next year’s tournament in Saudi Arabia.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2024/11/21/fiba-sotto-brownlee-power-gilas-to-statement-win-over-new-zealand-2120">READ: Sotto, Brownlee power Gilas to statement win over New Zealand</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2024/11/24/fiba-big-game-from-carl-tamayo-powers-gilas-rout-of-hong-kong-2109">READ: Big game from Carl Tamayo powers Gilas&#x27; rout of Hong Kong</a></div><p>However, for Tim Cone, another key figure in their staff must also be credited for their success, and it is no other than Gilas team manager Alfrancis Chua.</p><p>“I was very vocal about that, and I’ve been vocal ever since,” Coach Tim said about wanting to have Chua present on the sidelines for their games ever since he was officially appointed as the one in charge early in 2024.</p><p>“In fact, when I took the job, I originally told the SBP that I wouldn’t come along unless Al Chua comes with me. We tried to do that, but as it turned out, we couldn’t ‘cause he was busy doing all the things that he does with San Miguel.”</p><p>“There was a [moment] when: ‘Okay, I’m not gonna do it ‘cause he’s not gonna do it.’ But then, he encouraged me to do it,” Cone continued.</p><p>Aside from their gold-medal victory in the 19th Asian Games in China last year, Chua has not been that visible in Gilas’ games, as the San Miguel Corporation sports director already expressed before that his Asiad duties were a one-off.</p><p>However, Cone still pleaded to have his Barangay Ginebra team governor on board.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/173253930088820241121-fiba-gilas-newzealand-MQD_1237-MD.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Gilas Pilipinas team manager Alfrancis Chua. Photo by Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News."/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Gilas Pilipinas team manager Alfrancis Chua. <em>Photo by Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News.</em></span></span></span>“I’ve always been asking for him, and he’s been there behind the scenes. But finally, finally, I think there was a lot of pressure on San Miguel to let him come in and help us,” he revealed.</div><p>Just before the recent window, Chua, to Cone’s delight, was finally, officially appointed as the <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/11/20/alfrancis-chua-named-team-manager-of-gilas-men-gilas-youth-2148">team manager of the squad</a>.</p><p>This, according to Cone, makes a lot of difference for him personally, as well as their program overall.</p><p>“He’s there now, and he makes a world of difference. You’ll see that the players react so positively to Alfrancis Chua,” said Cone.</p><p>“He’s such a player’s guy, and he’s so relational. They know that they can go to him, and he makes my job so easier, that I can really lock into just coaching and he can take care of the other stuff.”</p><p>“It’s a nice partnership that we’ve been able to have in Ginebra as well, and it’s just spilled over to Gilas. It’s a special relationship that I have with him, but it’s also a special relationship that he has with the players that drive his team,” he furthered.</p><p>Aside from Chua, Cone already has some familiar faces on their staff.</p><p>Ginebra’s Richard Del Rosario and LA Tenorio are part of Coach Tim’s deputies, and his previous star import in Alaska Milk Sean Chambers was also recently inserted in their line of coaches.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2024/11/25/gilas-pilipinas-always-had-heart-but-it-now-has-the-height-and-might-to-back-it-up-1405">READ: Gilas Pilipinas always had heart — but it now has the height and might to back it up</a></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong><br/><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/knpMcjCl5Mg?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong></div>

<p>Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone and his vision for the national team has been working wonders.</p>

Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone and his vision for the national team has been working wonders.

Alfrancis Chua’s presence in Gilas ‘makes a world of difference,’ says Cone

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Alfrancis Chua’s presence in Gilas ‘makes a world of difference,’ says Cone

Rom Anzures,

ABS-CBN News

Published November 26, 2024 10:00 AM PHT

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