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Amazing Women: Gilas Women share how they let their game do the talking

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Champ de Lunas, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Janine Pontejos scored 18 points against Malaysia on May 22, 2022. PSC/POC Pool Photo/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/05/23/seag.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"/><figcaption>Janine Pontejos scored 18 points against Malaysia on May 22, 2022. <em>PSC/POC Pool Photo/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - &quot;We got game&quot; and so should all women do, members of the Gilas Pilipinas Women&#x27;s national basketball team declared this Women&#x27;s Month of March as they prepare for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Cambodia in May with a goal of bagging their third straight gold in the regional competition.</p><p>&quot;Nowadays, women are showing they are so capable of doing anything they want to achieve, whether it be sports, whether it be things in life men are doing as well,&quot; crowd favorite and small forward Trina Guytingco told ABS-CBN News in an interview.</p><p>&quot;Women’s basketball is on the come up in the Philippines... Not even just in basketball. Women’s football team, they are also performing really well,&quot; she added.</p><p>Acknowledging that basketball is a physical game, shooting guard Janine Pontejos said one&#x27;s interest in the sport should prevail over any perceived fears.</p><p>&quot;Kung yung talent mo is nandoon, mapapakita mo mas magaling ka pa sa lalaki maglaro, sana makuha pa din nila yung goal nila sa paglalaro,&quot; she said.</p><p>&quot;Continue nila dreams nila at &#x27;wag makinig sa mga negative na sinasabi, na babae ka lang. Patunayan (mo) na kaya mo din,&quot; said the player whose greatness in the sport was seen worldwide when she won the gold in the individual shoot-out in the 2018 FIBA 3x3 World Cup held in Bocaue, Bulacan.</p><ul class="op-related-articles"><li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/06/12/18/fiba-3x3-world-cup-pontejos-wins-shoot-out-gold-for-ph">FIBA 3x3 World Cup: Pontejos wins shoot-out gold for PH</a></li><li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/06/11/18/fiba-3x3-world-cup-hot-shooting-pontejos-draws-strength-from-countrymens-cheers">FIBA 3x3 World Cup: Hot-shooting Pontejos draws strength from countrymen&#x27;s cheers</a></li></ul><p>Center Clare Castro echoed Pontejos.</p><p>“Tuloy niyo lang kung anong gusto niyo. &#x27;Wag niyo na pansinin yung mga tao sa paligid niyo. Lahat naman &#x27;yan, may masasabi. Mag-focus na lang kayo sa anong gusto niyo mangyari sa buhay niyo and anong gusto niyong marating,&quot; she said.</p><p>Castro said she knows her priorities in life, which include being an inspiration to women.</p><p>Aware of the challenge women face in their male-dominated sport, Sofia Roman asserts, &quot;We got game.&quot;</p><p>&quot;The challenge is to kind of prove that, you know, we are also equal in a sense. The way we play with the guys, it might not be the same basketball, they are a lot more athletic than us. But we still can play,&quot; she said.</p><p>&quot;So I think, it’s just kind of proving the world and exposing yourself a bit more, that we can play not just in the Philippines but, you know, all over the world.”</p><ul class="op-related-articles"><li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/03/31/23/gilas-womens-sofia-roman-proud-of-new-wave-of-fil-foreigners">Gilas Women&#x27;s Sofia Roman proud of new wave of Fil-foreigners</a></li></ul><p>With basketball such a popular sport especially with men, the Filipina dribblers turned a lot of heads especially with the Men’s side losing against Indonesia in the last SEAG, which was a tough blow for the country after dominating the region 18 out of 20 times before the horror in Hanoi.</p><ul class="op-related-articles"><li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/22/22/reign-over-as-gilas-yields-sea-games-crown-to-indonesia">Gilas Pilipinas surrenders SEA Games basketball crown to Indonesia</a></li></ul><p>The Gilas Women have earned their share in the spotlight in the past few years thanks to their golden breakthrough in the 2019 SEA Games at home.</p><p>In 2021, they retained their place in FIBA Asia Division A. And in the Hanoi SEA Games last year, they were the only basketball team to bring home a gold medal.</p><p>&quot;I’m really happy actually that I’ve been able to see the difference since 2015. And till now, there’s been growth... It might be a little slow, but it’s for sure happening that we’re getting more exposure, that we’re getting more support,&quot; Roman said of their team&#x27;s challenges.</p><p>“Don’t hesitate just because there are obstacles in the way right now. The game is changing. I know for a fact it is... So, I would say don’t fear the obstacles if this is something you really want to do and you’re passionate about. Go for it.”</p><div><strong>- with a report from Camille Naredo, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><em>This article is part of the Amazing Women series of ABS-CBN News this month of March, featuring stories of select women who are making a mark in their respective fields and advocacies. March is National Women&#x27;s Month in the Philippines.</em></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2560784" width="100%"></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>

'We got game' and so should all women do, members of the Gilas Pilipinas Women's national basketball team declared this Women's Month of March.

Amazing Women: Gilas Women share how they let their game do the talking

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Amazing Women: Gilas Women share how they let their game do the talking

Champ de Lunas,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 31, 2023 07:02 PM PHT

|

Updated Oct 29, 2024 06:57 AM PHT

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Gilas

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basketball

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