The Gardner College Knights capped a dominant unbeaten campaign by sweeping all five of their games to capture the Under-25 championship of the Cheng Hoo Cup International Basketball Tournament held from July 5 to 11 in Cirebon, Indonesia.
The Diliman-based squad, backed by Quezon City 1st District Rep. Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde as part of his continuing support for youth sports, rolled past teams from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia, winning by an average margin of 19.2 points to bring home the international crown.
Atayde hailed the Knights’ championship run, saying the team brought pride not only to Gardner College but also to the Philippines.
“Congratulations to the Gardner Knights for this remarkable achievement. Winning an international championship is never easy, and they proved that Filipino talent can compete—and win—on the international stage,” Atayde said.
“It is always a privilege to support young athletes who pursue excellence through sports. I hope this championship inspires more Filipino youth to dream big, work hard, and proudly represent our country wherever they compete,” the congressman added.
Bannered by head coach Mico Santos, assistant coach Biboy Santiago, and physical therapist Aaron Villegas, the Knights opened their campaign with a convincing 77-53 victory over UCSI Malaysia behind Best Player of the Game Khen Palaroan.
Gardner survived its toughest assignment in its next game, edging UKSW Salatiga, 56-55, as Chanzey Garcia delivered the decisive performance to earn Best Player honors.
The Knights then outlasted hometown team GMC Cirebon, 96-94, with Palaroan once again emerging as the game’s top performer before routing Pelatda DKI Jakarta, 92-59, behind Janzehn Agustin to book a place in the championship game.
Gardner completed its perfect run with a 79-73 victory over Spartan Renon Bali, powered by Best Player Michael Romero.
Romero helped the Knights build a 51-41 lead midway through the third quarter before the Indonesian side fought back to cut the deficit to seven points, 61-54.
Gardner stayed composed in the closing minutes to preserve its lead and complete a perfect 5-0 campaign to claim the Cheng Hoo Cup Under-25 title.
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