BOCAUE, BULACAN—Stanley Pringle waited so long to don the Philippine jersey in front of his countrymen.
Unable to play for Gilas Pilipinas in the regular competition due to the stringent rules of the international basketball association (Fiba) in acquiring a passport before turning 16, Pringle finally realized his dream of representing the country in the 3×3 World Cup at Philippine Arena here on Saturday.
“It just feels great,” said the Globalport star, shortly after leading the Philippines’ losing effort to Mongolia in Pool C.
“Since I came here, I really wanted to play for the national team. I guess this is the next best thing.”
With the eligibility rules more lenient in 3×3, Pringle and Filipino-German center Christian Standhardinger are allowed to suit up for the Philippines, joining forces with Roger Pogoy and Troy Rosario.
Known for his ability to beat defenders off the dribble and finish at the rim, Pringle’s scoring prowess proved key as the Filipinos stunned sixth seed Brazil, 15-7. But another dazzling display against Mongolia wasn’t enough as the Filipinos suffered a 21-17 loss to its more experienced foes.
“It’s so fast-paced,” said the 31-year-old Pringle, who drew the biggest cheers from the sizeable crowd. “They (crowd) always show their support. It adds to the motivation and we’re looking forward to playing well for them.”
Pringle and Co., however, face a daunting challenge on Monday as they need to beat Russia and unbeaten Canada to reach the knockout stage.
Standhardinger said the team’s woes stems from their inexperience which was exposed against Mongolia when they were called for two technical fouls and got into penalty early.
Meanwhile, Perlas Pilipinas dropped its third straight game in Pool D of the women’s division Sunday, losing to Spain, 21-17, effectively snuffing out its hopes of reaching the quarterfinals.