PBA players Dalph Panopio and Von Pessumal were among the late additions to the Gilas Pilipinas lineup in the SEA Games 2025 in Thailand.
With a gold medal around his neck, Dalph Panopio ran around the court overwhelmed with joy as he celebrated with his Gilas Pilipinas teammates Friday night, Dec. 19.
“The only thing I feel is it hurts my neck. It’s so heavy, the gold. You know what I mean?” Panopio said in jest.
In his debut for the seniors’ team, Panopio made a good account of himself in Gilas' retaining the gold medal after besting host Thailand, 70-64, in a nip-and-tuck affair at the Nimibutr Stadium.
The Blackwater rookie made special mention of veterans Von Pessumal, Robert Bolick and Poy Erram, who supported him since Day 1.
“[It was a] hell of an experience. I’ve been here with players like Von, Robert, Poy. Vets, great players,” Panopio said, obviously still on cloud nine.
“They’ve been supporting me. They’ve been believing in me since the first day of practice.”
[RELATED STORY: Ray Parks Jr. dedicates Gilas’ SEA Games gold to Filipinos amid tough times]
Pessumal returned the favor, lauding the young playmaker who finished with nine points in over 10 minutes of play against the Thais.
“Hats off to the young guys, especially Dalph. What a big game for this guy. So proud of him,” said Pessumal, who won his second SEAG gold.
“He’s going to have a big career in the Philippines. Hopefully, he has more national championships to come.”
[RELATED STORY: Vindication of sorts for Jamie Malonzo after powering Gilas to SEA Games gold]
Ultimately, the Titan Ultra sniper said he is happy to be with the group of people who overcame adversity to retain the gold medal.
“I'm just so happy to be part of this team. Every game has been so hard. We clawed back from every game, literally. Especially last game, grabe,” Pessumal said.
(With reports from Nic Earnshaw/Cignal)
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Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.