Consolacion cagebelle first Cebuano medalist at 20th Asian Games
CEBU, Philippines — A female basketball player from the municipality of Consolacion became the first Cebuano medalist at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Japan.
Maria Victoria Pasilang, who hails from Barangay Polog in the northern Cebu town, was part of the Gilas Pilipinas women’s team that clinched a historic silver medal in the 3x3 basketball event of the quadrennial games at the Kinjo Futo Station Square Venue.
Pasilang and her teammates Kacey Dela Rosa, Kennan Ka, and Amyah Espanol completed a 3-0 sweep in the group stage with victories over Mongolia, Macau and Malaysia.
They then clobbered Singapore, 22-12, in the quarterfinals, before punching their ticket to the championship with a 13-8 win over Thailand.
The Pinay cagebelles, however, fell short of their gold-medal target after losing to host Japan, 21-11, in the final.
They may have missed the ultimate prize, but it was still a memorable campaign for Pasilang and the rest of the Gilas women, giving the Philippines its first-ever podium finish in 3x3 basketball since the sport debuted at the Asian Games in 2018.
In men’s 3x3, Team Philippines, composed of Cebuano cager Nic Cabanero, Andrei Dungo, Luis Pablo, and Koji Buenaflor failed to medal after bowing to South Korea, 21-9, in their battle for third place.
In the other results involving Cebuano athletes, Faith Raven Alcoseba finished ninth in women’s triathlon, Elreen Ando fifth in weightlifting, and Art Joy Torregosa 14th in marathon. — (FREEMAN)
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