MANILA – After failing to reach the second round, Gilas Pilipinas will now vie for an outright 2020 Tokyo Olympics spot in the classification round of the 2019 FIBA World Cup starting today at the Wukesong Sports Arena in Beijing, China.
Gilas head coach Joseller “Yeng” Guiao admitted that it will be close to impossible, but that is what’s left for the national men’s basketball team after ending the Group D matches with 0-3 win-loss slate.
The highest-ranked Asian team at the end of the FIBA World Cup – outside of Japan, which is already qualified as the host – will punch a ticket to the Summer Olympics next year.
“It’s hard to think about the Olympics at this point,” said Guiao. “I don’t want to speculate about the Olympics. I think China has an inside track already (after winning one of their two games).”
If the national men’s basketball team fails to secure an Olympic berth through the FIBA World Cup, they can still do so through an Olympic qualifying tournament slated early next year.
The 16 best remaining teams in the ongoing World Cup, along with two teams per region, will compete in four qualifying tournaments ahead of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
“We have to think about it (Olympics qualification) and prepare. There are a lot of factors that will come in and there are a lot of factors that we cannot control. We have to be ready,” Guiao said./PN
