Singapore’s line-up in the 2017 SEABA U-16 Championships featured a small roster with an average height of 5-foot-9. Moreover, three of their players in their 12-man team have Filipino lineage.
One of the three Filipino-Singaporeans in Singapore’s line up, Jack Williams Lacsado
And one-third of the Filipino trio is 15-year-old Reuben David Faustino Amado.
The five-foot-six guard was just six years old when he and his parents left their hometown of Dasmariñas, Cavite and migrated to Singapore. So for Amado, playing in his homeland — despite representing another country — is an honor.
“It’s an honor,” shared Amado, who scored just four, moments after the Singaporeans’ lopsided 108-42 defeat to the much taller Batang Gilas Pilipinas on Sunday afternoon to open their campaign in the regional tourney.
And in his first taste of Filipino basketball, the North Vista Secondary School student found their towering counterparts’ style of play as high in intensity.
“Filipinos are very intense,” remarked Amado, who was introduced to the sport by his father.
“Their defense is very hard. It’s hard to execute the ball past the half-court line. They are very tall, very big, they play with high intensity.”
The Singaporeans may have lost by 66 points in their opening bout, but Amado and his teammates are not daunted. For him, the loss only made them more hungry to bounce back and win in their next outings.
“We have more hunger to win, we have more hunger for the ball and we will give all our strength for the next game,” said the 168-centimeter tall guard.
