The Filipinos really love underdog stories. It is ingrained in the country’s culture.
Canada faced Senegal, the lowest ranked team in the 2016 Manila OQT, to open Day 2 action. The Canadians are bannered by NBA players Cory Joseph, Tyler Ennis, Anthony Bennett, and NBA champion Tristan Thompson while Senegal is an experienced team compared to their opponents.
“Every time Senegal plays on the big stage, people count us out already,” 24 year old Maurice Ndour said.
It was a low-scoring affair between Canada and Senegal with the Canadians, as expected, leading for the majority of the game.
As the minutes crept closer to Gilas’ game, the sea of blue supporting the home team started to make their way to their seats.
In the final frame, the Canadians held a four-point lead with three minutes to go in the game but suddenly Maleye Ndoye popped a triple to cut the deficit to just a solitary point lead. Moreover, the Filipino crowd erupted in support of the Senegalese.
“It was a difficult game for us,” said Senegal head coach Porfirio Fissac. “But we never gave up.”
The Canadians, through the backcourt of Ennis and Joseph, were able to keep the lead for Canada but a split on the stripe by the latter gave Senegal a chance to tie the game with three seconds remaining. The crowd, almost reaching capacity, suddenly kept cheering in favor of Senegal during the team’s final timeout.
Clevin Hannah threw a desperate three while collective gasp filled the arena. The shot was short, giving the Canadians the win. The Filipinos graciously applauded both teams – including Senegal.
“That was really incredible. We did not expect that at all,” said Ndour, who had 16 points and 10 rebounds in the game. “For the crowd to give us a little boost, it was great! It was amazing!”
“It kept us in the game, that really helped.”
Moreover, Fissac, a Spaniard, shared that the adoration showered onto them by the Filipino crowd was a learning experience for him..
“I’m coming from Europe, it was a surprise to me because I learned something new today,” the 51-year-old mentor shared. The lesson? “That the public can enjoy the game, not just the colors.”
“That’s why my players are thankful to the Filipinos. Thank you for the support.”
Just like Senegal, the Philippines are an underdog team in the tournament, which is why Filipinos can relate to the Senegalese team. More importantly though, Filipinos know how to appreciate hard work – a trait that was displayed by Senegal for 40 minutes of action.
