Gilas Pilipinas to Compete in FIBA Olympic Qualifier
The Philippine men’s national basketball team, Gilas Pilipinas, faces a significant challenge in securing a spot in the men’s basketball tournament at the Paris Games. The team is set to compete against tough opponents from Brazil, Georgia, Montenegro, Cameroon, and host country Latvia in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament scheduled for next year.
Despite the fortunate draw that allowed Gilas Pilipinas to avoid World Number 2 Spain and Luka Donkic’s Slovenia, the road ahead remains demanding. Gilas is currently ranked 38th in the world, and they will need to overcome formidable opponents to secure that single coveted spot for the Paris Olympics.
Latvia ranked 8th globally, poses a strong challenge for Gilas Pilipinas. They will also enjoy the advantage of being the host nation for the qualifier, which will be held in Riva. The FIBA Olympic Qualifier will be held July 2-7, 2024.
Brazil, ranked 12th in the world, is another formidable adversary that Gilas must contend with. Montenegro, currently ranked 17th in the world, and Georgia, ranked 23rd, further add to the tough competition.
In the tournament format, Gilas will compete in Group A, facing off against Latvia and Georgia. Meanwhile, Group B will feature Brazil, Cameroon, and Montenegro. The winners of each group will then proceed to battle each other for the lone Olympic berth.
During the tournament, each team will engage in two matches against the other teams in their respective groups. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals.
In the semifinals, the first-place team from Group A will face the second-place team from Group B, and vice versa. The winners of these semifinal matchups will compete for the highly sought-after Olympic qualification.
For Gilas Pilipinas, this will undoubtedly be a formidable challenge. Latvia’s impressive performance in the last World Cup, where they reached the Final 8 in Manila despite the absence of their star player, Kristaps Porzingis, underscores the strength of their basketball team.
Notably, Latvia defeated Brazil 104-84 and put up a closely contested match against the eventual World Cup champions, Germany, losing by just two points. Many international basketball analysts favor Latvia to win the lone Olympic slot to Paris.
They made headlines in the FIBA World Cup Manila when they defeated France, which was supposed to be a title contender in the tournament. Latvia also defeated the defending World Cup champion Spain but lost to Germany later.
As Gilas Pilipinas embarks on this challenging journey, they carry with them the hopes and aspirations of basketball enthusiasts in the Philippines, a nation with a deep passion for the sport.
The team’s determination and performance in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament will be closely watched and fervently supported by fans eagerly awaiting the opportunity to see their team compete on the global stage at the Paris Olympics.
In reality, the best finish the Philippines could get in the Olympic Qualifier is to reach the top two spots, only if we can defeat Georgia. Georgia is bannered by two NBA veterans, namely Goga Bitadze from Orlando Magic and Sandro Maukelashvili, who played for the San Antonio Spurs.
Based on the schedule of the Olympic Qualifier in Latvia, there’s a considerable possibility that NBA players will be available during that time. Basketball lovers are already expecting to witness Luka Doncic, Lauri Markanen, DeAndre Ayton, and Kristaps Porzingis, to name a few, who will be participating and seeing action in the tournament.
Regarding the team composition for the Gilas Pilipinas squad, there has yet to be an announcement on the squad list. Filipinos are hoping for possibilities of Jordan Clarkson’s availabilities, together with the B League boys and veteran Gilas Pilipinas players in the PBA.
In the other qualifiers, host Spain will take on Bahrain, Finland, Poland, Lebanon, and Angola in the city of Valencia; Slovenia, Croatia, host Greece, Dominican Republic, New Zealand, and Egypt play in Piraeus, while the San Juan qualifier will have host Puerto Rico, Cote d’Ivoire, Mexico, Brunei, Italy and Lithuania.
Disclaimer: PhilNews.xyz articles and their external content are not financial advice but are only used for educational purposes. Always Do Your Own Research (DYOR) first. The team serves to deliver unbiased news with less intrusive ads.
