CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) formally welcomed the history-making eGilas Pilipinas squad at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, honoring them as the first-ever all-Filipino eFIBA Season 4 World Champions.
Led by Laus Group Esports (LGE) President Paul Laus and Team Manager Ian Serranilla, the powerhouse quintet proudly presented their championship trophy to PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio following a dominant global campaign at the eFIBA World Finals in Doha, Qatar. The celebratory reception marks a milestone for the local sporting community, proving that Filipino athletes can rise to the top of the rapidly growing global esports arena.
The historic victory marks the country’s first eFIBA World Finals gold medal, elevating the national program after back-to-back fourth-place finishes in Sweden and the Philippines.
At the center of the local celebration was point guard Miguel Carlo “LGE_miguelcarlo” Hubillar, who was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Hubillar, who averaged an impressive 24 points and 7.4 assists per game, showcased the trophy alongside teammates Chris “LGE_iLuvio-“ Briones, Kenneth “LGE_Clue-“ Gutierrez, Joshua “LGE_JMacc” Machado, and Prich “LGE_DonP” Diez. They were joined by coaches Nite Alparas, Anthony De Jesus, and eGilas Program Head Coach Ryan Gregorio.
Tournament organizers also named Hubillar, small forward Kenneth Gutierrez, and power forward Joshua Machado of the Philippines to the prestigious All-Star 5 lineup. Shooting guard Mecit Can Boy of Turkiye and center Medhi Ben Sethoum of France completed the All-Star selections.
The Philippine squad maintained a near-flawless run throughout the international tournament. During the group stage, the team secured consecutive victories over France, Germany, and Algeria to advance to the upper bracket of the double-elimination playoffs.
In the playoff bracket, the Philippines rebounded from an opening-game loss to defeat France, 2-1, in the upper bracket final. The Filipino roster then shut down Turkiye’s offense in the Grand Final to secure a commanding 3-0 series sweep.
The final standing ranks the country first followed by Turkiye, France, Algeria, Lebanon, Dominican Republic, Germany, and Qatar (Dave Achondo, Editorial Associate)
