The players of the Rising Eagles, a basketball team composed of Korean celebrities, pose with their team manager Sandara Park and Bench founder Ben Chan during a press conference for the 'Shoot of Asia' exhibition game, October 25, 2025. Jaehwa Bernardo, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — While the competition on the court can get intense, a basketball game featuring celebrities from the Philippines and South Korea can also serve as a meaningful celebration between the two nations.
That's how K-pop superstar Sandara Park sees the "Shoot of Asia" exhibition match between South Korea's Rising Eagles and the Philippines' Kuys Showtime, set to take place at the Mall of Asia Arena on October 26.
"I love both Korea and the Philippines. This game is very special and historic," said Sandara, who remains a beloved figure in the Philippines, having built a showbiz career here before debuting with the girl group 2NE1.
"So I believe it's not just a basketball [game] but basically a celebration that brings these two countries together," she said through an interpreter at a press conference on Saturday, a day before the match where she also serves as a guest performer.
Poster for the 'Shoot of Asia' basketball exhibition game. Photo from Bench's X account
Organized by Bench, the game features the Rising Eagles, a celebrity basketball team formed for a sports reality show set to air on Korean broadcaster SBS, and Kuys Showtime, a team composed of Filipino actors, singers and TV personalities.
Coached by Korean basketball legend-turned-TV personality Seo Jang-hoon, the Rising Eagles feature K-pop artists Minho of SHINee, Jeong Jinwoon of 2AM and Johnny of NCT. Sandara also serves as the team’s manager.
Sandara admitted that she felt "a dilemma" by being the Korean team's manager, as many of the members of the rival team are her friends.
"A lot of them are my friends. But of course this time, fulfilling my role as a manager for Rising Eagles, I have to show my full support and cheers for Team Korea," she said.
The Philippine lineup includes "It's Showtime" hosts Vhong Navarro, Jhong Hilario and Ion Perez; former "Pinoy Big Brother" housemates River Joseph and Dustin Yu; singers Billy Crawford, Adie Garcia and Arthur Nery; and actors David Licauco, JC De Vera and Ronnie Alonte, among others.
As a manager, Sandara hopes that the Rising Eagles will be "remembered as a team that made the passion for basketball in the Philippines even hotter."
-- Popular sport in PH --
The members of Rising Eagles also acknowledged basketball's immense popularity in the Philippines, which fueled them to train even harder for the exhibition game.
"I know very well that one of the powerhouse sports here is basketball, so being able to play a game in the Philippines that's so passionate about basketball truly feels like a dream and an honor," said Jung Kyu-min, best known for starring in the reality dating show "EXchange 2."
Jinwoon added: "We practiced a lot in Korea with stronger teams in preparation for a game that can compete against this strong team."
Kyu-min said he also hoped the game "becomes a meaningful opportunity for both Korean and Filipino players to continue buidling strong connections and cultural exchanges as well in the future."
For his part, Johnny hopes to make "a lot of great memories" with the Philippine team, regardless of the results.
When asked for a message to the Philippine players, team captain Minho, nicknamed "Flaming Charisma" for always being so passionate in his endeavors, said: "We, the Rising Eagles, came here not to just have fun but to actually win, so watch out."