MAY kakaibang karakter ang Mighty Sports basketball team. At kung pagbabatayan ang mga tagumpay ng koponan sa international scene, hindi maikakaila na hinog na ang koponan para sa mas mataas na antas ng kompetisyon – sa local pro league.

Ngunit, sa mga tagahanga ng Mighty Sports, wala pa sa hinuwa ang posibilidad na mapanood ang koponan sa Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) o Asian Basketball League (ABL) at maging sa MPBL.

“Mighty Sports joins tournaments by invitation. As of now we have no plans joining locally. Our plan is to represent the Philippines in international competitions. This is our objective,” pahayag ni Mighty Sports team owner Cesar Wongchuking.

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Inamin ni Wongchuking na labis-labis ang kanilang kasiyahan sa natamong tagumpay ng koponan, ngunit sadyang malayo pa sa kanilang programa na mapabilang ang Mighty Sports sa pro leaguye.

“Dito muna kami sa International competition. Masaya kami at nakapagbibigya kami ng kasiyahan sa ating mga kabayayan sa abroad at nakapag-uuwi tayo ng karangalan para sa bansa,” ayon kay Wongchuking.

Naitala ng Mighty Sports ang kasaysayan sa katatapos na Dubai International Basketball Championship matapos tanghaling unang non-middle east teams na nagwagi sa torneo at sa impresibong 7-0 sweep.

Mismong si head coach Charles Tiu ay nagulat at hindi makapaniwala na matutupad ang kanyang pangarap na magkampeon sa torneo sa dominanteng pamamaraan.

“To be honest, no. Our goal is to win the championship, no doubt about that, but in the first team practices and in the first game it didn’t look too good for us,” pahauyag ni Tiu sa isinagawang ‘Victory Party’ ng koponan Huwebes ng gabi sa Makati City.

Kahanga-hanga ang Mighty Sports, sa pamumuno nina naturalized player Andray Blatche at dating PBA import Renaldo Balkman, sa pagsibak sa defending champion Al Riyadi Lebanon.

“Mabuti na lang everything fell into place, the players started jelling together as a team, so we were able to accomplish our game. I didn’t think we would sweep it, but we’re happy we we’re able to sweep and get the championship,” pahayag ni Tiu.

Bukod sa dalawang import, kasama rin sa koponan ang beteranong si Beau Belga, gayundin sina Joseph Yeo, Gab Banal, Jelan Kendrick at McKenzie Moore, at mga batang palyers tulad nina Thirdy Ravena, Dave Ildefonso, Jamie Malonzo, Juan and Javi Gomez de Liaño, Isaac Go, Jarerel Lim, Joaqui Manuel, at Mikey Williams.Nais ni Tiu na mapanatili ang ‘core’ ng koponan sa sandaling mapalaban muli sa abroad, ngunit ang desisyon ay nasa kamay ng Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP).

“For us any time, if we’re asked to represent the country, we will be down for it, form the best team as much as possible. I don’t know if we can keep these guys as some of them already represent the Philippines in Gilas. I feel in the perfect world we’d love to keep these guys in a perfect world,” ayon kay Tiu.

Nilinaw naman ni SBP Special Assistant to the President, Ryan Gregorio na wala pang opisyal na plano para sa pagsabak sa Jones Cup, ngunit iginiit na kabilang ang Might Sports sa ‘priority list’.

Nakatakda ang Jones Cup sa Taiwan sa Hulyo.

“They have been supportive to the programs of the federation. It’s just overwhelming that they were able to win the Dubai Cup, the first ever for a non-Middle Eastern country. In the future tournaments we’re going to align with them, partner with them, to bring more trophies for the country,” sambit ni Gregorio.