Gilas sneaks past Thailand in SEAG opener

succession, and RayRay Parks and Standhardinger each split their free throws to seal the win.

Troy Rosario, the lone member of Gilas’ SEABA team that made the SEA Games lineup, led the Filipinos with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, 10 rebounds, and two steals, while Standhardinger, who quickly joined Gilas’ SEA Games team following the FIBA Asia Cup team’s shock early boot, added 15 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, one block, and one assist.

Parks, Kiefer Ravena, and Toto Jose, the three Gilas members who played in the ABL last season, chipped in 14, 11, and six markers each.

Amer dished out 10 assists without a turnover on top of six points and three rebounds. The win came hours after Gilas’ FIBA Asia team won over Jordan in Beirut to end its campaign there on a high note.

Tyler Lamb, who is set to become teammates with Standhardinger for Eastern in next year’s ABL wars, led Thailand with 17 points, six rebounds, and two steals. PNA GILAS’ “Team B” engaged in a wild encounter with Thailand to start its SEA Games campaign. In the end, the “second team” duplicated its “first team’s” feat.

The Gilas Cadetspowered Philippine side subdued Thailand, 81-74, at the MABA Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday night.

Gilas actually threatened to pull away early on, opening a 29-16 cushion with 7:09 left in the second quarter. Thailand, however, went on a 17-3 run to take a 33-32 lead later in the second.

Gilas eventually retook the lead by halftime, 36-34, but the game tight for most of the second half as the team only escaped due to crucial Thai misses.

Down 74-77, Thailand had an opportunity to tie the game after the team got two straight blocks, but Chanachon Klahan misfired a three-point attempt and Baser Amer, following a rebound, found Chris Standhardinger for a basket Gilas’ lead to five with 53 seconds left.

Klahan and Ratdech Kruatiwa missed three-balls in Box Scores: Philippines 81 — Rosario 16, Standhardinger 15, Parks 14, Ravena 11, Tolomia 8, Amer 6, Jose 6, Vosotros 3, Ferrer 2, Pessumal 0, Paras 0 Thailand 74 — Lamb 17, Samerjai 12, Ananti 11, P. Klahan 10, Jakrawan 9, C. Klahan 5, Apiromvilaichai 4, Kruatiwa 4, Chanthachon 2, Muangboon 0, Ghogar 0, Lakhan 0 Quarterscores: 22-12, 36-34, 60-59, 81-74 TO DOMINATE the 108-pound division and represent the Philippines in the Olympics: those are the two things that International Boxing Federation (IBF) light flyweight champion Milan Melindo wants to achieve before his career in boxing ends.

“Manny Pacquiao is known for winning world titles in eight divisions. Donnie Nietes for being the longest reigning Filipino world champion. I want to get all the belts in one division,” said Milan Melindo.

Currently one of the champions of the four main world boxing sanctioning bodies, Melindo’s goal of becoming the undisputed light flyweight champion is a tall order but doable.

He just needs to beat the three other world champions in the light flyweight division - World Boxing Council (WBC) titlist Ken Shiro, World Boxing Association (WBA) beltholder Ryoichi Taguchi and World Boxing Organization (WBO) champion Kosei Tanaka.

As young kid who learned to box at six years old, it has been Melindo’s lifelong dream to represent flag and country in the biggest stage of sports, the Olympics.

“It has also been my dream to become an Olympian,” he said.

With the Olympics’ new rule of giving pro boxers eligibility to fight, that childhood dream could still come true.

“I started to box when I was six or seven. I have been in the amateurs so I believe I won’t have a hard time. I know the weaknesses of the amateurs,” said Melindo.

At just 29 years old, Melindo will still be at the top of his game in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan if he wishes to compete in the Olympics. Melindo’s main focus though is not the future, but his title defense against former world champion Hekkie Budler in the main event of Pinoy Pride 42 - “Clash For Glory” on Sept. 16 at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino.

“Hekkie Budler is a brawler. He likes to come in but he also has a tendency run. I have to be patient. I’m a methodical fighter and I have to think a step ahead of him,” he said. “If he keeps on coming in, then there’s a huge chance that he will go down.”

Melindo became the interim IBF light flyweight champion after beating Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr. by unanimous decision last November.

He became the regular champion after an impressive first round knockout over Japanese super star Akira Yaegashi in Japan in May.

“I was shocked with that win,” said Melindo of his knockout victory over Yaegashi, who he dropped three times. “I really relied on God to help me. I was very relaxed and felt just a little bit nervous, which is always natural. In the past I really didn’t rely on God because I only believed in myself. But on Nov. 26 of last year I started to trust in God. If you have God by your side your abilities will be enhanced.” Sun.Star Cebu