Japan eyes 2nd PVL finals’ berth vs PLDT

Games

Tickets for opening day at the Philippine Arena and the Smart Araneta Coliseum games are available via ticketnet. com.ph, while tickets for the SM Mall of Asia Arena contests are available via smtickets.com.

All roads lead therefore to the Philippine Arena on August 25, with a local inter-agency task force for the World Cup seeking to have the date declared a special before wrapping up the first round of the preliminaries against world No. 10 Italy, led by Utah Jazz forward Simone Fontecchio, on August 29.

Given the comparatively compact capacity of the Big Dome and the SM Mall of Asia Arena, which will house the Final Phase of the tournament, the host nation has only one shot at shattering the spectator mark of 32,616 – set during the 1994 FIBA World Cup championship between KURASHIKI of Japan takes the first of its two chances for the other championship berth, facing the only other team standing in the way of its finals drive in the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

But the Ablaze said they are wary of the PLDT High Speed Hitters— and the local fans—as they go for a fourth straight victory and the other spot in the one-game final against the Creamline Cool Smashers on Sunday.

Gametime is at 4 p.m. today (Thursday) with PLDT, coming off back-toback 3-0 victories over F2 Logistics and Kinh Bac-Bac Ninh of Vietnam for a 2-2 card, likewise pulling out all the stops to stall the Japanese and keep its flickering hopes alive.

But even if they do hurdle the Japanese, the High Speed Hitters would still need to hope the former would drop their last semis match to the Cool Smashers at the close of the semis phase tomorrow (Friday).

“Like F2 Logistics, PLDT is a tall team. But we will do our best, particularly in receive,” said Kurashiki coach Hideo Suzuki, after steering the team past the Cargo Movers, 25-20, 2522, 25-20, last Tuesday for a 3-0 slate, through an interpreter.

Creamline booked the first finals seat with a tough 25-23, 25-23, 25-17 win over Kinh Bac-Back Ninh, which remained winless in three games in the mid-season conference of the league organized by Sports Vision and backed by BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, Mikasa, SMART, Rebisco, Kumu, Asics and SportRadar.

Having seen the High Speed Hitters play, Akane Hiraoka, who took the game’s top honors with a nine-point effort against F2 Logistics, said: “PLDT has tall players, we have to focus on defense and receive and we shouldn’t be discouraged.”

PLDT coach Rald Ricafort and the High Speed Hitters, on the other hand, said they aren’t actually after the result but the chance to play an efficient team like Kurashiki.

“We’re happy to have built momentum (after beating Kinh Bac-Bac Ninh). We prepared against the Japanese at yung pag-manage na lang para maka-peak sa dulo,” said Ricafort.

Still, while a new attendance mark would mean a new entry in the annals of the International Basketball Federation and a celebrated nod to the drawing power of the Jordan Clarkson-powered Gilas Pilipinas, a victory over world No. 23 Dominican Republic, led by Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns, before a huge and roaring hometown crowd would come down as an even greater achievement since it would provide the home team crucial momentum heading to its next two games, to be played at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

At the Big Dome, the proverbial Sixth Man, will once more assume a critical role as Gilas Pilipinas, ranked 40th in the FIBA standings, faces Angola (41st), bannered by Atlanta Hawks 6-foot-10, 240lb center Bruno Fernando, on August 27

Inaugurated on March 16, 1960 in time for the World Junior lightweight fight between hometown icon Gabriel “Flash” Elorde and American Harold Gomes, the Big Dome also swung its doors open for, among many other spectacles, the unforgettable “Thrilla in Manila”, the epic world heavyweight clash between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, in 1975, the 1978 FIBA World Championship which the then Yugoslavia won, an exhibition game between the 1978 NBA champion Washington Bullets and a PBA selection in 1979, and the 1982 Asian Youth Basketball Championship where the Philippines shocked China in the final.

While a new attendance mark would mean a new entry in the annals of the International Basketball Federation and a celebrated nod to the drawing power of the Jordan Clarkson-powered Gilas Pilipinas, a victory over world No. 23 Dominican Republic before a huge and roaring hometown crowd would come down as a great achievement since it would provide the home team crucial momentum heading to its next two games, to be played at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.