Gilas Pilipinas could receive a timely boost in its bid to revive its FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers campaign, as Window 4 of Group E is expected to be staged at a neutral venue—reportedly the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Australia head coach Adam Caporn hinted after the Boomers’ commanding 92-49 victory over Gilas Pilipinas in Perth on Monday that the next set of games would not be played in the scheduled host countries.
“That next window will be tough. My understanding is they’re neutral sites, and we’re looking forward to the next step of the challenge,” Caporn said.
The move comes after Windows 2 and 3 of Group C were transferred to Prince Hamza Hall in Amman, Jordan last June 29, July 2, and July 5 because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
If the reported venue pushes through, the SM Mall of Asia Arena would host all six Group E games in Window 4.
The schedule opens on August 28 with Syria taking on Australia, Iran facing New Zealand, and the Philippines battling Jordan.
Two days later, Australia meets Jordan, New Zealand squares off against Syria, and Gilas Pilipinas takes on Iran.
The potential home setting could not come at a better time for the Filipinos.
The national team enters the fourth window on a four-game losing streak after opening the qualifiers with back-to-back victories in Window 1.
Gilas now shares the bottom of Group E with Syria at 2-4.
Only the top three teams in the group will secure outright qualification for the FIBA World Cup 2027, making the upcoming window crucial for Tim Cone’s squad.
Despite the heavy defeat to the undefeated Boomers, Dwight Ramos believes the experience should serve as motivation heading into the decisive stretch of the qualifiers.
“We have to learn from this. Like Coach (Tim Cone) said, if we move on, there are going to be a lot of teams just as good as Australia. We’ve got to keep working, remember this game, remember the feeling of getting embarrassed like this, work hard, and come back,” Ramos said.
Australia remains unbeaten atop Group E with a perfect 6-0 record, while Iran and Jordan are tied at 5-1.
New Zealand occupies third place at 4-2, leaving the Philippines with little margin for error as it hopes a possible home crowd in Pasay can provide the spark needed to keep its World Cup dreams alive.
