Gilas Pilipinas Boys clinched a spot in the 2026 FIBA 3×3 Under-23 World Cup after advancing to the final of the last stop of the Youth Nations League–Asia 2 Conference on Sunday at Hextar World Empire City in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
The Philippines took care of business in the pool stage, defeating New Zealand, 17-11, before overpowering Singapore, 20-9.
By reaching the final, Gilas Boys secured a minimum of 500 points in the overall standings, enough to lock up World Cup qualification.
Japan, their closest rival, can only finish with a maximum of 490 points even if it wins the final stop.
The 2026 FIBA 3×3 Under-23 World Cup will be held from September 15 to 19 in Wuhan, China.
Earl Medina sat out Sunday’s games, with Jhuniel Dela Rama stepping into the lineup.
Against New Zealand, Cabs Cabonilas led the way with six points, while Jedric Daa and Koji Buenaflor chipped in five points each.
Cabonilas was even more dominant in the victory over Singapore, pouring in 13 of Gilas’ 20 points.
The Gilas Pilipinas Boys 3×3 program, led by program director Ryan Gregorio with trainers Kirk Collier, JJ Española, and Patrick Fran, reached the final in all but one stop of the Youth Nations League, winning Stops 3 and 5.
Despite securing World Cup qualification, Gilas Boys still have one task left as they await their opponent in the final of the last stop, where they will look to cap off their impressive campaign with another title.
