PATRICK Fran refuses to let Gilas Pilipinas Men’s 3×3 dwell on its semifinal defeat, reminding his young squad that their Asian Games campaign has already gone beyond expectations.
The Philippines saw its unbeaten run end against South Korea, 21-9, in the semifinals at the Kinjo Futo Station Square Venue, but Fran said his players have every reason to hold their heads high.
“Honestly, they overachieved. Nobody expected us to be in this position. And again, I can’t ask anything more from them,” said coach Patrick.
Fran believes the semifinal loss should serve as another learning experience for a developmental team competing on the Asian stage.
“Yes, it’s just a blessing. This is our first loss and we have another game,” he said.
He pointed to the team’s experience in last month’s Nations League as a reminder that setbacks can be part of the process.
“Because when we played in the Nations League just last month, it was six stops. I told them, ‘That’s our training ground.’ This is our first loss. Let’s just bounce back,” Fran recalled.
The Filipinos now have one more chance to finish their Asian Games campaign with a medal when they battle Iran in the bronze medal match at 6:30 p.m. Japan time, or 5:30 p.m. in the Philippines.
South Korea advanced to the gold medal match after successfully shutting down Nic Cabañero, who was limited to just two points.
The Philippines will now try to regroup and close out its breakthrough 3×3 campaign with bronze.
Meanwhile, Gilas Pilipinas Women’s 3×3 will also play for gold later in the day, facing host Japan at 7:00 p.m. Japan time, or 6:00 p.m. Philippine time.
With both teams fighting for medals, Team Philippines has two more major 3×3 battles on the Asian Games stage. (Jesus Nathaniel Valdez)
