Pres. Duterte shakes hands with Gilas players before their game against Italy on Saturday, 31 August 2019. (Contributed photo)

President Rodrigo Duterte lauded Gilas Pilipinas despite the team’s loss to Italy in the FIBA World Cup Group D match Saturday night in Foshan, China.

“PRRD patiently watched the game as the Filipino players valiantly fought their taller, bigger, shiftier and sharp-shooting Italians. In the end we were outplayed and out-scored but not without displaying some flashes of brilliance, although few and far between. It’s not always the winning that counts, it’s how the game is played. Our Filipino players played with grit and passion. And for that they deserve our admiration,” said Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo after the national men’s basketball team’s 108-62 defeat at the hands of the NBA star-laden Italy side.

Duterte met the Gilas players before the game and watched from the skybox seats together with Senator Bong Go and other Philippine officials.

At the dugout, the President raised the Filipinos’ morale by telling them he is with the team all the way.