MANILA – Gilas Pilipinas matches for the third and final window of the 2021 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asia Cup Qualifiers slated this month will push through.
FIBA Asia Executive Director Hagop Khajirian announced that Group A matches, which include the national men’s basketball team, will be held in Clark, Pampanga.
“Fixing the dates of the ‘windows to be created’ under this unexpected and extraordinary situation will still need about 10 days to be finalized,” Khajirian said
“However, we have already decided to have these games in the Philippines, where the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) will host two groups, and in Lebanon, where the Lebanon Basketball Federation will host a group,” Khajirian added .
The national men’s basketball team’s third window matches were in limbo early Friday after previous host Doha, Qatar backed out due to the imposed 60-days lockdown.
Gilas Pilipinas, were sitting atop Group A with a clean 3-0 record, will face Asian rival South Korea twice and Indonesia once in the third and final window of the qualifier.
The Philippines was really the original host of the Group A matches for the third and final window of the qualifier until the country backed out last month due to the country’s travel restrictions.
In a related development, the SBP announced on Friday that it has chosen Frederick Tungcab, Filipino-American guard Jordan Headings, and center Tsaddy Rangel for the special Gilas draft in the 2020 Philippine Basketball Association Rookie Draft next month.
“The SBP, as always, is thankful to the PBA for its cooperation as we build towards the Philippines’ hosting of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup with Japan and Indonesia,” said Panlilio./PN
