FIBA Asia Cup 2025 slot for Gilas Pilipinas

DESPITE sweeping the second window qualification, Gilas Pilipinas has to wrest its faite on New Zealand’s, 81-64, conquest of Chinese-Taipei before formalizing its’ entry in next year’s FIBA Asia Cup tournament proper slated to host by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

After the two round qualification, Gilas remain unbeaten in four games on top of Group B, while the Kiwis, whose eight-year reigned over the nationals finally ended last week, with Gilas carved out a 93-89 triumph. The Kiwis settled second with a 3-1 win-loss card.

Well, it doesn’t really matter, whether on whose hand we wrest our fate, for as long as Gilas deserved a seat in the final round of FIBA Asia Cup, which is formerly known as the Asian Confederation Championship (ABC). Gilas Pilipinas last won the title in 1985 and a last podium finished in 2015 behind Iran.

At least seven countries have already earned their respective tickets to the final round phase, led by defending champion Australia, Lebanon, Jordan, Japan, Philippines,New Zealand and host Saudi Arabia. Six more slots are up for grabs in the third window set to start in February next year.

We expect other favorites to gain a their respective spots, in the like s of South Korea, in Group C, China, in Group D, Iran (Group E), Qatar (Group F), Chinese-Taipei (Group B), Thailand (Group F), Kazakhstan (Group E) and others.

In the meantime, back here at home, Gilas head mentor Tim Cone, even before the Gilas-Kiwis tussle, strongly believe that they have a chance to beat the Tall Blacks. And without a a doubt, the nationals came through with a hard earned victory (93-89). Likewise the win reached another milestone in the country’s basketball history, as it first victory over New Zealand in eight-years and after five meetings.

But for Cone, who outlined a four-year for Gilas, believed that we haven’t seen our best team yet. And that they still trying to see exactly where they can go and how far they can go. Well, its quite very modest assessment on his part considering, the program is reaping from its dividend.

And the results, a first victory against a European team in six decades, 89-80 over Latvia (No. 6), and another first over the Kiwis (No. 22) after eight-years. Though lost to No.20 Georgia, 90-92, but Gilas still went to march into the semi-finals and played with no.12 Brazil.

In this beat, the current bunch of young and talented crop of players, since they come together, six months ago, what the new bunch of young guns have done, is just an eye-teaser of what to expect in the coming years for the country.