STRONG Group Athletics-Pilipinas team owner Frank Lao chose to take the high road after the defending champions were eliminated from the 2026 William Jones Cup semifinals despite finishing the group stage with a 5-1 record.
SGA closed its Group A campaign with a dominant 117-74 victory over Chinese Taipei Blue on Thursday, but the result came too late to keep its title hopes alive under the tournament’s controversial format.
South Korea’s Wonju DB Promy secured the lone legitimate semifinal berth from Group A after beating Japan, 75-64, earlier in the day and winning the tiebreaker over SGA.
Chinese Taipei Blue, meanwhile, was already assured of a semifinal spot regardless of its standing as the host team.
Asked about the controversial setup that ended SGA’s bid for a third straight Jones Cup title, Lao declined to criticize the organizers directly.
“Wala akong masasabi dyan,” Lao said. “Ang sa akin lang, susundin ko ang payo ng nanay ko, ‘wag mong kunin ang bagay na hindi talaga para sa ’yo!’”
Despite the unusual circumstances surrounding their elimination, SGA ended its group campaign with a commanding performance against Chinese Taipei Blue, building a lead of as many as 49 points. (Adrian Co)
