Strong Group Athletics coach Charles Tiu and Rajko Toroman during an open training ahead of the Jones Cup. –SGA PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—With the William Jones Cup coming up, Strong Group Athletics coach Charles Tiu is liking what he’s seeing from the Philippine side’s squad.
After SGA’s practice at Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong on Tuesday, Tiu said that the team’s composition and chemistry so far have been exemplary as they undergo their final preparations before their tournament in Taiwan.
“I really like what I’m seeing. We’ve got great balance, a lot of talents in the wings and that’s a great problem to have,” said the top coach.
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“It’s been really nice so far, they’re all coachable, they all pick up things so fast and I’m really excited for this tourney.”
The College of St. Benilde tactician, though, knows the competition will be anything but easy.
While the list of final participants for the Jones Cup has yet to be released, Tiu did some research of his own and saw that the playing field will be quite stacked.
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“Some of the teams participating are quite strong. I saw the Ukraine national team being there, there’s also an American team… Competition’s going to be good but it’s something that we’re hopeful to prepare for,” said Tiu.
The 43rd iteration of the tournament will signal Tiu’s fifth run.
With experience under his belt, Tiu compared his previous squads to the current team and acknowledged the local-heavy lineup flying to Taiwan.
“I think this time we’ve got a lot more local talents. We’re deeper on the local side, less imports and I think we’ve had a bit more time to prepare and that’s good. Hopefully, the results will be the same [from my previous coaching stints].”
SGA will fly to Taiwan for the Jones Cup on July 12.