After their heartbreaking experiences in the 2015 and 2017 editions of the Southeast Asian Games, Gilas Pilipinas Women coach Patrick Aquino hopes their quest for a breakthrough gold medal ends in Manila.
Gilas kicked off its gold medal bid in SEA Games women's basketball with a come-from-behind 63-56 win over Indonesia on Thursday.
Aquino admitted that his wards are hungry for recognition and are determined to erase the stigma of their medal failures in past few SEA Games.
"Of course, my players also wanted to prove something. Winning the gold medal in the SEA Games is a good avenue for them to prove to everybody that they also deserve the recognition," Aquino told ESPN5 on Friday, shortly after the team's practice.
And the veteran Gilas women's coach welcomes the fact that the Filipino fans are there to cheer for them this time.
"It's a huge thing really for us to play before the fans here at home because you know they are there to support you and pray for you to win it all the way," he added.
But the task won't be easy, shared Aquino since standing in the way in Gilas women's title hopes is two-time defending SEA Games champion Malaysia, which they will face on Sunday.
Aquino said even if the Malaysians are parading a lot of new and young players, they remain a force to contend with.
Malaysia's quest for a third straight SEA Games gold however, got off to a rough start after suffering a 70-47 beating at the hands of Thailand on Wednesday.
Aquino still warned his wards from taking the reigning champions lightly.
"I was telling my players that Malaysia is still the defending champion so we can't take them lightly. Yes, they have a lot of new players but expect them to come out strong when we play them on Sunday," stressed Aquino.
Getting off to a strong start will be critical, he added.
"Definitely, we have to start stronger from the start since quotient system is in effect in the tournament. As much as possible, you will need to win big," said Aquino, largely credited for Gilas women's promotion to Level 1 in FIBA Asia women's tournament under his watch.
The Philippines has yet to win a gold medal in the SEA Games women's basketball event since the regional conclave's inception in 1977. The Filipinas settled for silver in the 2011 and 2013 SEA Games.