STRONG Group Athletics-Pilipinas president Jacob Lao expressed gratitude to the team’s supporters after its bid for a third straight William Jones Cup title ended under controversial circumstances.
Despite falling short of the championship, Lao said the overwhelming support from Filipino and Taiwanese fans throughout SGA-Pilipinas’ three-year Jones Cup campaign meant more to the organization than the result.
“We may not have won the three-peat due to ‘circumstances’ we did not foresee, but the outpouring of support we received from both the Filipino and Taiwanese fans was more than enough for us,” Lao said.
“In the eyes of many, this team are the real champions, and that means a lot to us,” he added.
SGA-Pilipinas finished its 2026 Jones Cup campaign with a 6-1 record, including six consecutive victories, but settled for fifth place after being eliminated from the semifinals despite posting a 5-1 mark in the group stage.
The team’s semifinal exit came amid controversy over the tournament format, which guaranteed Chinese Taipei Blue a place in the Final Four regardless of its Group A standing.
South Korea’s Wonju DB Promy claimed the lone qualifying spot from Group A through the tiebreaker system.
SGA-Pilipinas nevertheless ended its campaign on a high note, defeating Jordan, 96-91, in the classification game to finish fifth.
Lao thanked everyone who supported the team throughout its three-year run in the tournament.
“Maraming salamat to everyone who stood by Strong Group throughout the past three years,” he said.
The Strong Group president also said the organization would take time to evaluate its program following this year’s experience.
“Now, it’s time for us to reassess our program, learn from this experience, and make it stronger moving forward,” Lao said.
The Jones Cup campaign marked another strong showing for SGA-Pilipinas, which won the tournament in 2024 and 2025 before seeing its bid for a third consecutive title end in a controversial fashion this year. (Adrian Co)
