Standout Filipino college basketball player Ricci Rivero said he wants to start his professional career by playing in the P.League+ as opposed to other leagues in Asia because of the sizeable Philippine community in Taiwan, his new team the Taoyuan Pilots said on Monday.
“There are nearly 150,000 Filipinos living and working in Taiwan, the mere thought of playing in front of them and being the first to represent them in one of Taiwan’s best basketball leagues is already a big motivation for me to choose Taiwan over other Asian basketball leagues,” Rivero said in a Taoyuan Pilots statement.
Although adjusting to leaving his home country could be difficult, Rivero believes the support of Filipinos in Taiwan will help, the statement said.
Screengrab from Ricci Rivero’s Facebook
“I do not make promises, but I’ll work hard. Starting my professional career in Taiwan comes with a lot of pressure, responsibility and maturity, but the decision to live [here] comes with no regrets, because I know it will help me become better,” Rivero said.
Philippine sports management agency Virtual Playground on June 24 confirmed that Rivero would be suiting up for the Pilots by showing him wearing a Pilots jersey with the caption “Ricci Rivero to Taiwan.”
Since then, Rivero has generated headlines across the Philippines and Taiwan as the first-ever import player from Southeast Asia in the world.
“I am deeply honored. The trust given by the Pilots to have me on their team as the very first Asian to become a world import in the P.League+ is also a sign of their confidence in the basketball program of the Philippines. I am excited to work hard and contribute the best way I can,” Rivero said.
Rivero played in Taiwan in 2017, when he was part of the Philippine De La Salle University basketball team who played in the Buddha’s Light International Association Cup, earning praise as one of the best players in the tournament.
“Back in 2017, the overwhelming acceptance of both Taiwanese and Filipinos was a memorable one. I hope I can live up to the expectation this time,” Rivero said.
Rivero is expected to arrive in Taiwan in October, the Pilots said.
He is the only University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) basketball player to have won championships with two different schools.
Rivero won his first championship in 2016 during his rookie season at De La Salle University.
He then helped the University of the Philippines clinch its first championship since 1986 in May, averaging 14.67 points, 1.33 assists, 3.33 steals, and 1.0 blocks in the finals.
Taiwanese infielder Chang Yu on Saturday made his major league pitching debut when he was pulled off third base in the bottom of the eighth to preserve the Tampa Bay Rays’ bullpen in their 9-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Chang’s chance to take the mound came as the Tigers’ scoring was already out of hand for the Rays. Detroit mounted a rare offensive outburst, leading Rays manager Kevin Cash to preserve his pitchers by allowing Chang to throw an inning. He retired Willi Castro on what the scoreboard called a 40mph curveball, but Detroit’s Jonathan Schoop hit the next pitch for
Taiwan yesterday outlasted the Dominican Republic 9-5 in a rain-soaked slugfest in Tainan to take home the bronze medal in the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup. Taiwan, who won the previous edition of the tournament in 2019, were eliminated from gold medal contention on Friday with a loss to the US, and needed a comeback win over South Korea a day later to reach yesterday’s third-place playoff. The US and Venezuela were playing for gold in a game that started at 7:45pm. The US were leading 7-2 at the bottom of the fifth inning as of press time last night. In what was
Tuesday night was another home run, another pitching win, another spot in the history books — just another night for Shohei Ohtani. The two-way sensation from Japan withstood another injury scare and pitched six scoreless innings to go with his team-leading 25th home run, reaching yet another monumental milestone as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Oakland Athletics 5-1. Ohtani joined Babe Ruth (1918) as the only players in major league history to have at least 10 home runs and 10 wins in the same season. The Angels said that two players from the Negro Leagues also did it: Bullet Rogan of the
A tearful Naomi Osaka on Tuesday retired injured and US Open champion Emma Raducanu fell at the first hurdle as the top women’s players continued their preparations for Flushing Meadows at the Canadian Open in Toronto. News of the pending retirement of Serena Williams overshadowed proceedings at the tune-up for the year’s final Grand Slam, but there were no shortage of first-round upsets for fans to enjoy, including one by local Bianca Andreescu. Twice US Open champion Osaka, in only her second tournament back from an Achilles injury, battled on gamely before retiring while trailing Kaia Kanepi 7-6 (7/4), 3-0. “I felt my
RSS