Showing posts with label Red Bull Half Court World Final. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Red Bull Half Court World Final. Show all posts

October 27, 2024

Uratex Dream Becomes First Filipino Team to Reach the Final at the Red Bull Half Court World Final in New York

Uratex Dream proudly makes a mark on the global stage as the first Filipino team, and the only Southeast Asian team, to reach the final stage for the women’s division at the Red Bull Half Court World Final, held last October 19 and 20 at the Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York. This momentous achievement heralds a remarkable milestone for the basketball-loving nation in the world of competitive streetball.


The team scored victories against some of the world’s best including Australia’s “Not Fast But Furious,” the United States’ “Team SLAM,” Egypt’s “Amigos,” Ukraine’s “Prykarppattya,” and Belgium’s “On Fire.” Kaye Pingol, Afril Bernardino, Sam Harada, and Eunique Chan of Uratex Dream went up against Japan’s “Tokyo Verdy” in the final round of the competition. Ultimately, the Filipino team lost with a score of 8 against Japan’s 11.


Uratex Dream’s second place finish is a huge leap from their performance at last year’s Red Bull Half Court World Final in Serbia where their journey peaked and ended in the quarterfinal. Fans should keep an eye out as the Philippines continues to build momentum in the global streetball competition. Catch the next edition of the Red Bull Half Court.

To find out more, visit the official Red Bull website and the following social media pages (Facebook | Instagram | Tiktok )



October 15, 2024

Half Court Group and Uratex Dream All Set to Represent the Philippines at the Red Bull Half Court World Final in New York

The Philippines is gearing up for game day as the winning Red Bull Half Court teams, Half Court Group and Uratex Dream, head to New York representing the country at the Red Bull Half Court World Final. Months after they earned their wings and secured their respective spots in the competition, both teams are ready to put on a show for the global stage.

Ezra Acayan / Red Bull Content Pool

Sam Harada, Kaye Pingol, Eunique Chan, and Afril Bernardino of Uratex Dream are challenging for the title as Red Bull 2024 Half Court World Champion for the women’s division. Meanwhile Chester Saldua, Matt Salem, Jordan Bartlett, and Gryann Mendoza of Half Court Group, who are playing for the men’s division, have been laser-focused on getting back into the swing of the 3-on-3 streetball tournament. The team has emphasized the importance of staying to shape, anticipating a fast-paced game full of pressure.

“Our outside shooting and speed will always be our main weapons,” said Half Court Group’s Coach Mau Belen. “In practice, we make sure to improve these two skill sets and use (them) efficiently in order to help us win games.”

Coach Belen added, “We are trying to focus on positioning better inside the court, so we’ll give ourselves a chance to keep the ball alive and maintain an even count on possession against the other teams.”

Ezra Acayan / Red Bull Content Pool

Asked about what they expect to be their biggest challenge during the competition, the coach shared, “We have addressed every physical and mental challenge we are about to experience during the tournament, but one thing we can’t really prepare for is the jetlag (that) the players will have (from) traveling to the other side of the world. This is something we hope wouldn’t put us in a big disadvantage.”

On the team’s chemistry, Coach Belen claimed, “The team has been together for (about) over a year now, so familiarity and chemistry are not really something we’ve had to cover. But, I’ve seen a lot of maturity in their game, and it’s something I’m excited to see in New York.”

Ezra Acayan / Red Bull Content Pool

The team’s coach also said that she constantly reminds the players the value of simply enjoying the game. “I constantly emphasize (to them to) enjoy each game and the whole experience because we will never know when we’ll have this kind of chance again.”

Coach Belen shared that the loss from last year’s World Final in Serbia shaped her mindset and coaching heading to this year’s World Final. The coach said, “As a leader I (made) sure that I improve my coaching ability in order to match the high-level competition in the World Final. Learning the game intentionally and intensively has been my promise to myself since the loss against Dominican Republic last year.”

Looking ahead to the competition, both Philippine representative teams share the enthusiasm for the challenge and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of representing the Philippines in a global street basketball. Coach Mau also expressed her aspirations for Half Court Group at the World Final this year. “I hope we as a team have had that chance to evolve and mature on and off the court.”

National Pride on the Court

Red Bull Half Court is all about scoring buckets and playing tight offense. As the World Final approaches, the Philippine representatives assured supporters that they are more than ready to showcase their skill for streetball. The competition will be fierce as the teams go up against the top streetball teams from 25 countries across the world, but both teams are up for the challenge.

Support Half Court Group and Uratex Dream as the athletes take on the best street basketball players from all over the world. Don’t miss the Red Bull Half Court World Final happening on October 19 to 20 at New York City, USA.

Follow their journey at the Red Bull Half Court World Final and stay tuned for the latest updates. To find out more, visit the official Red Bull website and the following social media pages (Facebook | Instagram | Tiktok )

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
enjoying wonderful world