The Philippine ball club Strong Group Athletics (SGA) is ready to make its mark at the 33rd Dubai International Basketball Tournament. They will commence their campaign this Friday, with the NBA superstar Dwight Howard leading the squad against the UAE National Team.
The tournament schedule for SGA reveals a lineup of games set from January 19 to 24, as announced on the official Dubai Basketball Championship social media pages. Local fans can anticipate a series of thrilling matchups throughout the elimination round, with all games following the UAE time zone.
Tickets for the event are priced starting at AED45 and are available for purchase on the Platinum List platform.
Below is their game schedule:
- Friday, Jan 19: The team faces the UAE National Team at 7:15 PM.
- Saturday, Jan 20: SGA will compete against Al Wahda at 5:15 PM.
- Sunday, Jan 21: The action continues as they go up against Homenetmen at 7:15 PM.
- Tuesday, Jan 23: The team will match up with Beirut at 9:15 PM.
- Wednesday, Jan 24: They will conclude their elimination round against Al Ahly Tripoli at 9:15 PM.
SGA-Philippines boasts a team composed of seasoned NBA veterans alongside rising stars from the Philippine collegiate basketball scene. Joining Dwight Howard are players such as Andray Blatche and Jordan Heading, both from Gilas Pilipinas, and Justine Baltazar, a player for Gilas and the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). They are accompanied by McKenzie Moore, a former PBA import, and Andre Roberson, known for his time with the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder. The roster is further bolstered by collegiate talents from the Philippines such as Joel Cagulangan, Kevin Quiambao, Francis Escandor, Tony Ynot, and Allen Liwag, along with Justine Sanchez from Saint Benilde.
The team is under the guidance of Coach Charles Tiu from Saint Benilde, with Topex Robinson serving as Assistant Coach and Brian Goorjian, from the Australia National Team, acting as Team Consultant.