Tim Cone wants more recognition for Gilas Women

In the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Gilas Pilipinas Women will compete in tourney for the first time since 1998 and Gilas Pilipinas men's head coach Tim Cone himself called for more recognition for their counterparts.

As the two national teams held a joint open practice on Thursday,  Cone praised the women's team after what he has seen in the Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia last May where they finished with a silver medal.

"I'm a big fan of Pat Aquino as a coach," Cone told the media on Thursday. 

"I just love the way he gets to his girls to play with heart, they're in every possession, they're super together and you can jut see the support that they have and they have great culture that they have developed.

I'm a big fan of theirs. I think we need to recognize that more as a nation. These girls are out there, doing what we do everyday, fighting and practicing, going in the weight room, doing everything they can to get better," he added.

Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone called for more recognition of the Gilas Pilipinas Women's team: I'm a big fan of theirs. I think we need to recognize that more as a nation. @gmasportsph @gmanews pic.twitter.com/S5javgJrRP

— JK Carandang (@jk_carandang) September 14, 2023

Cone said that with the open practice and being with the women's team, hopefully, players will be motivated to play as "it's all bigger than us."

Aquino, meanwhile, is grateful to Cone for the opportunity.

"[It's an] awesome feeling being side by side with the men's team for the first time," said Aquino. "Only the men's has this kind of thing and the women's now has the opportunity to show themselves. I'm just happy for the girls."

"Hoping that this is one big step going to the Asian Games na sama-sama kaming lalaban para sa bayan."

(Hoping this is one big step going to the Asian Games that we are together fighting for the country.)

Gilas Pilipinas men will open their campaign against Bahrain on September 26 while the women's team will take on Kazakhstan on the 28th.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News