GILAS PILIPINAS could not be more fired up as they prepare to play the same opponents who dealt them agonizing defeats, hoping to a redemption run in the forthcoming 2025 FIBA Asia Cup. 

On Wednesday, the Asia Cup’s official schedule was revealed. The Philippines will have a tight schedule, against Chinese Taipei on August 6, New Zealand on August 8, and Iraq on August 9.

Gilas’ first two games in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will be against the same opponents they faced during the tournament’s qualification stage, with the games shared between the two squads. 

However, with another opportunity to show themselves and own Asia, the national squad will strive to clinch the top slot in the group once more, avenging their poor performance in the qualifications.

Redemption Arc

Gilas Pilipinas, along with the other three countries, will compete to win Group D and earn an automatic berth in the quarterfinals. 

The second and third-place finishers from each group will still have a chance to go to the quarterfinals and capture the four remaining tickets by competing in a ‘play-in’ game against the opposite group. 

The qualifiers for the quarterfinal games will be held on August 11 and 12, with the quarterfinals on 13th and 14th. The semifinals are scheduled for the 16th, with the finals and battle-for-third matches taking place on the 17th.

However, Gilas head coach Tim Cone and the rest of the group will pick up the pace only after the PBA Philippine Cup ends on July 27, leaving them with barely a week to prepare for the Asia Cup, which begins on August 5.

“We’re trying to get a friendly here in Manila before we leave for Jeddah. No takers yet,” Cone told a media. 

Next Man Up

Meanwhile, it is believed that Kai Sotto would remain out of the Asia Cup. Cone and his coaching staff will try to roll the dice by going deep in their bench and playing the younger players on the roster. 

Cone saw Carl Tamayo, who recently won a championship in the Korean Basketball League, as the future of the Philippine squad, along with Kevin Quiambao, big man AJ Edu, and Sotto.

“We’re banking on the continuing maturity of our young players like Carl, Kevin and AJ, even Kai to impact our improvement as a team,” he said. “We expect, as time goes on, for them to demand more minutes as their games improve.”

Cone and the Gilas Pilipinas made headlines with their triumph, winning their first gold medal in the Asian Games in 61 years and defeating higher-ranked countries in the FIBA Olympic Qualification Tournament. 

However, the squad will continue to place the country on the basketball world map, with the goal of developing a more sustainable program in the coming years. This adventure begins with the Asia Cup in August.