Meeting a friend in a foreign country. How nice and exciting it is.
South Korea is about 1440 km from the Philippines. This is the case if you measure the straight line distance from Jeju Island, the southernmost point in Korea, to Batanes Island, the northernmost point in the Philippines. The Filipino Asian Quarter players who joined this season are meeting their classmates and friends in a strange land called Korea.
Most of the Filipino Asian Quarter players entered Korea before the opening, but Suwon KT’s Dave Ildefonso joined the team in early January, and played his first match on 19 January. Afterwards, he met ‘friend’ Gas Corporation Sam Joseph Belrangel in a game against Daegu Korea Gas Corporation held at KT Sonicboom Arena in Suwon on the 31st. The two have already met once in the All-Star Game at the Philippine Asia Quarter Signing, but this is the first time they have met as opponents in a game.
The two, who had played basketball together since high school, met at Ateneo University in Manila. They are like brothers beyond simply being motivated. After the match, the two showed off their friendship by posting pictures taken together on social media.
I asked Belrangel what kind of player Ildefonso was. “Ildefonso is a very athletic and energetic player,” Belrangel said. His self-care is also hard on. He will be able to show a good figure in Korea.”
When asked what kind of conversation the two had before the game, Belrangel said, “Ildefonso asked me how to stop Lee Dae-sung when he had to stop it. I joked and said, ‘You can’t stop our Lee Dae-sung’.”
As a result of the match, KT won 88-84 after a close match. Belrangel recorded 8 points and 2 rebounds in 20 minutes and 42 seconds, and Ildefonso recorded 10 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 17 minutes and 53 seconds. 안전놀이터
Ildefonso said of the match against Belrangel, “It was a great experience to play against Belrangel, whom I considered a teammate and a brother. He is a great competitor and I wish both of us long and good careers at KBL going forward.”
When asked what kind of player Belrangel is, Ildefonso said, “Berangel is a point guard who knows how to take good care of his teammates as well as his own goals. He also has a very wide view of the court, so he knows where to put the ball and at the same time he is a player who finds his place well.”
Ildefonso also left a witty joke towards Belrangel. He said, “I hope to fight in the upcoming matches. Except when I met KT (laughs). See you soon, Belrangel.”
It is a very meaningful and welcome thing to meet friends in another country. The two of them stepped on Korean soil for work, but their memories will remain in our hearts for a long time.