The Philippine National Police sports team, known as the PNP Responders, captured the silver at the 2019 World Police & Fire Games held in Chengdu, China.
The Filipino force snagged the top 2 spot in the Men’s Basketball 5×5 35+ division against other teams from all over the world in the biennial athletic event for active and retired law enforcement and firefighters personnel.
The Pinoy men’s basketball silver win follows the triumph of Team Pilipinas’ Boy and Girls’ gold triumph at the ASEAN School Games in Indonesia, and the UP Fighting Maroon’s Buddha’s Light International Association Cup title in Taiwan.
The PNP Responders played hard all the way to the top and bested the Tenerife Police of Spain which bagged the bronze.
In the battle for Gold, the Filipino team faced Team USA but lost the game to the latter and settled for silver.
Here is the final result of Men’s Basketball 5×5 of the 2019 World Police & Fire Games Awarding Ceremony held on August 13:
Gold – US Customs & Border Protection, USA
Silver – PNP Responders, Philippines
Bronze – Santa Cruz de Tenerife Police, Spain
Prior to the game, Lt. Gen. Camilo Pancratius Cascolan expressed his
confidence that Team Philippines would deliver positive results in the
competition.
“For the last six years, we have been sending teams to this annual meet to show the world that our police force is as athletic as the other countries’ forces. Our sporting teams are the pride and joy of our 170, 000 personnel,” said Cascolan.
PNP Reponders Team is composed of the following:
PCMS Ariel Saldua
PSMS Harold Decena
PSMS Zherwin Mendiola
PSSg Ronaldo Abaya
PSSg Ricardo Cabrera
PSSg Mariano Flormata
PSSg Mark Nicolas
PCpl Antonio Tolentino,
PCpl Jarold Dia
PCpl Rollie Serrano
NUP Ernie Sta. Cruz
PSSg Abdul Khair Bayabao (playing coach)
The winning team has been together for the last 6 years and participated in the World Police & Fire Games 2015 edition in Washington and in Los Angeles in 2017.
Even before the game started in Chengdu, Playing Coach Bayabao said the team was targeting silver in the 2019 edition and they made good on their promise.
“Siguro, makakuha ng silver. Kahit hindi muna gold. Pero ang pinakaimportante ay yung makalaro kami ng maayos at hindi kami mapilayan (We are aiming for the silver. Not the yet going for the gold. The most important thing is that we can play well and we don’t get hurt),” Bayabao said.
SEND congratulations in the comments below for the PNP Responders, silver medalists at the 2019 World Police & Fire Games in Chengdu!
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