16 February 2015 – The Philippine Embassy was visited by famous basketball personalities from the Philippines on January 25. The group consisted of GILAS National Team Assistant Coach Josh Reyes, Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws Head Coach Nash Racela, FEU Tamaraws Owner Anton Montinola, and FEU Athletic Director Mark Molina. They were accompanied by New Zealand Basketball Academy Board Member David Perez, Mrs. Rosie Perez, FEU Scholar and FEU Tamaraws Player Joseph Nunag, and his mother, Ms. Gina Nunag from Auckland.
The Wellington visit was part of a mission to scout for Filipino-Kiwi basketball players for the FEU Tamaraws Team and to link up and share knowledge with the New Zealand Basketball Academy and learn more about training programs and best practices in basketball in New Zealand.
Philippine Ambassador to New Zealand Virginia H. Benavidez warmly welcomed the group and together with the Philippine Embassy Team and the Filipino community congratulated young, tall and talented Joseph Nunag for being awarded a scholarship at FEU and opportunity to play with the FEU Tamaraws Team. There was a lively and interactive conversation among the basketball coaches and the members of their group and the other guests who admired the way that FEU continues to develop and train basketball players from the Philippines as a pathway for a better and more secure future.
Ambassador Benavidez thanked Mr. David and Rosie Perez, and Ms. Nunag, for their invaluable support and assistance in enhancing closer relations and raising connectivity between the Philippines and New Zealand through basketball.
“Basketball is considered a national passion, one of the centerpieces of our national sports program, an exhibition of the Filipino people’s prowess and skills in the local, regional and international arenas and a mirror of our national spirit promoting sportsmanship, fair play, excellence, camaraderie and teamwork,” the Ambassador stated.
Indeed, it was an honor and privilege for the Philippine Embassy and the members of the Filipino community to have met the stalwarts and potential player of the FEU Tamaraws who has earned the reputation and record of having the most number of victories and championships in the men’s basketball division of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). END