Charles Tiu eyes third gold medal finish in Jones Cup with loaded Strong Group-Philippines

Strong Group Athletics coach Charles Tiu is no stranger to victory in the William Jones Cup.

The last time the country took home the top prize was in 2019, when Mighty Sports ruled the tournament under Tiu's tutelage.

Prior to that, Tiu was also an assistant coach during Mighty Sports’ championship run in 2016.

Tasked with calling the shots for SGA in the upcoming tournament, Tiu hopes to bring the Jones Cup title back to the Philippines but admits that they are facing strong competition.

“The last two times I went, we won [the Jones Cup], so hopefully, we're able to continue that streak,” Tiu told reporters during SGA’s media day.

“Obviously, it's a different team. Some of the teams participating are quite strong. I saw the Ukraine national team is gonna be there, so that's tough. There's also an American team that is like a pool of 19 to 25-year-olds, which are probably gonna be G-League guys, so competition is gonna be good, but it's something that hopefully we're preparing for, and we'll be able to compete with. I like our chances this time around,” he added.

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Tiu will have several talented players at his disposal, including Kiefer Ravena, Jordan Heading, RJ Abarrientos, Rhenz Abando, Fil-foreign gunner DJ Fenner, and imports Chris McCollough, Tajuan Agee, and Caelan Tiongson.

Rounding out the team are former Ateneo players Dave Ildefonso, Ange Kouame, and Geo Chiu, as well as young guns Jonathan Manalili, Allen Liwag, and Tony Ynot.

“I think this time we've got a lot more local talent for sure. We're a bit deeper on the local sides with less imports, too,” said Tiu.

“I think we've had a little bit more time to prepare, so that's good but hopefully the results would be the same,” he added.

The preparations continue for Strong Group as they are expected to fly out next week for the Jones Cup that's slated from July 13 to 21.