Filipino Athletes Shine in Football, Basketball Tournaments in Singapore

Filipinos in Singapore had reason to cheer, as the Loyola Meralco Sparks Futbol Club won their RHB Singapore Cup two-leg quarterfinals match on 5 and 8 July 2012, and the Energen Pilipinas U18 Junior Men’s Basketball Team won all their games at the 8th Southeast Asia Basketball Association (SEABA) U18 Men’s Basketball Championship on 26-30 June 2012.

Ambassador Minda Calaguian-Cruz hosts the Loyola Merlaco Sparks FC after they defeated
Myanmar’s Kanbawza FC in the first leg of their Singapore Cup quarterfinals match.

The Philippine Embassy helped to rally the support of the community, with Ambassador Minda Calaguian-Cruz and the officers and staff of the Embassy showing up in full force during the tournaments.

The Sparks, under head coach Kim Chul-Su won the first leg of their match against Myanmar’s Kanbawza FC 3-1 on 5 July, with goals by Mark Hartmann, and brothers Phil and James Younghusband of the Azkals.  James Younghusband scored again in the second leg of the match, together with another goal with Jake Morallo, but Myanmar drew even with a second goal in the last minute of the match. Nonetheless, the Sparks triumphed with an aggregate score of 5-3, propelling them to the Singapore Cup semi-finals in October, where they will face three-time Singapore league champions Tampines Rovers.

Meanwhile, the Philippines’ youth cagers emerged undefeated in all their matches against Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore at the SEABA U18 Men’s Basketball Championship. They will be representing Southeast Asia at the FIBA-Asia tournament in Mongolia from 17-26 August 2012.

Ambassador Cruz also hosted receptions at her residence for both teams.