Before the Ateneo Blue Eagles left for Taiwan, Bounty Agro Ventures Incorporated president Ronald Mascariñas knew that the competition in the 2018 Jones Cup would be stiff. Thus, he asked the boys for one thing.
“I am not asking for a win. All I’m asking is for you to show the world na kayo ang number one when it comes to sportsmanship,” the sports patron told the team.
And they showed the highest level of sportsmanship during their game against South Korea.
With 1:51 left in the Philippine team’s game against South Korea, and the Koreans holding an imposing 87-73 lead, big man Choi Junyong was hit by an inadvertent elbow to the gut by Ateneo Pilipinas big man Angelo Kouame. Choi fell to the floor, cringing in pain.
Video courtesy of ESPN5
Instead of turning back and form a team huddle, Thirdy Ravena and Matt Nieto decided to help the Korean up. The two 23 for 2023 cadets then guided Choi to Korea’s bench, drawing applause from the crowd.
Ateneo Pilipinas suffered a 90-73 loss to the South Koreans. Still, they were able to show the world what Philippine basketball is all about.
