A pathway to its Olympic aspirations remains open for Gilas Pilipinas. Now, it must navigate through it.
The teams it will face in the classification phase have been revealed after Wednesday’s Group B games in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Gilas Pilipinas begins its quest for a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics against South Sudan on Thursday, August 31, and Asian Games powerhouse China on Saturday, September 2.
Securing victories in both matches, combined with favorable outcomes for the Philippines in the classification rounds of other Asian teams—particularly Japan, which has already secured a win over Finland in the Group Phase—would offer the Nationals the strongest chance to secure passage to France next year as the highest-placed Asian team in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
It all commences with a challenging matchup against the African qualifier South Sudan—a tall and formidable opponent for Gilas Pilipinas. The Smart Araneta Coliseum will be bathed in blue when the Nationals take on Sudan’s Bright Stars at 8 p.m., aiming for a pivotal victory to set the stage for a momentum-driven clash with China’s Team Dragon two days later, also at 8 p.m.
The Philippines-China game, anticipated to pack the Smart Araneta Coliseum, is regarded as a precursor to their forthcoming encounter at the Asian Games next month in Hangzhou.
South Sudan concluded third in Group B with a 1-2 record after suffering a 115-83 defeat from world No. 6 Serbia in the first game, while China finished last with a 0-3 record following a resounding loss to Puerto Rico, 107-89.
When queried after the first game on Wednesday about the possibility of facing Gilas Pilipinas and the home crowd in the classification, South Sudan’s head coach Royal Ivey refrained from commenting, awaiting the result of the Puerto Rico-China game.
Dut Juok Kacuol led South Sudan with 21 points, and Nuni Omot contributed 17. Interestingly absent from the action for the Bright Stars was their top scorer, Carlik Jones, who, after averaging 23 points in the first two games, was restricted to just three points against Puerto Rico. Nevertheless, he remains a formidable adversary for the Filipinos, expected to swiftly rebound from the subpar performance.
On the other hand, China was led by Zhao Rui with 16 points, while Zhao Ji Wei added 14. Naturalized player Kyle Anderson (Li Kaier) and former NBA big man Zhou Qi had underwhelming performances for Team Dragon in the loss. However, they are still anticipated to lead the charge for China when facing Gilas Pilipinas.
The direct confrontation between these two Asian squads is also anticipated to have significant implications in the race for the sole Olympic spot from the continent, as both the Philippines and China, holding 0-3 records, strive to secure victories and catch up with Japan.
The Philippines’ last appearance in men’s basketball at the Olympics was in 1972 in Munich, Germany. Players like Freddie Webb, Danny Florencio, Bogs Adornado, Jun Papa, Manny Paner, Yoyong Martirez, Tembong Melencio, Narciso Bernardo, and Jimmy Mariano represented the nation. The Nationals triumphed over Senegal 72-68 in pool play, advanced past Egypt via forfeit in the semifinal, and defeated Japan 80-73 to secure 13th place.
Gilas Pilipinas is scheduled for a shootaround from 12 noon to 12:50 p.m. on Thursday at the Big Dome.
