Gilas Pilipinas faces a dizzying schedule in the lead-up to their final two games of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.
Gilas Pilipinas may be unbeaten in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers, but starting next week they will face perhaps their biggest challenge: a tight schedule that involves stops in three different countries across different Asian time zones that is sure to mess with their body clocks.
To add to the challenge, several players in the Gilas pool will also be dealing with their commitments to other foreign leagues just days before the team joins a four-team pocket tournament in Doha.
While CJ Perez and June Mar Fajardo likely won’t be joining the San Miguel Beermen anymore for their final EASL game in Korea next week, Chris Newsome will be flying to Taipei with the Meralco Bolts for their own EASL game. The Beermen are already out, but the Bolts can still sneak into the EASL Final Four with a win over the New Taipei Kings on February 12.
Gilas Pilipinas will have a very short, two-day training camp at the Inspire Academy in Laguna starting on February 11, but not everyone will be there. Aside from Newsome, Japeth Aguilar will reportedly skip both the training camp and the Doha games, while Carl Tamayo still has a KBL game on the 12th.
The team flies to Doha on the 13th then will play Qatar, Lebanon and Egypt over three days. They fly back to Manila on the 17th, then leave for Taipei on the 18th before playing Chinese Taipei on the 20th and New Zealand on the 23rd. They fly back to Manila on the 24th.
So for those keeping score, that’s three countries – all with different time zones – and five games against other national teams over a span of 10 days.
“Yes, it’s really a challenge,” Gilas assistant coach Richard Del Rosario told The GAME on Wednesday night. “But that’s the cards that we’re dealt with. The fortunate thing is, we’re already qualified for FIBA Asia (tournament).”
Del Rosario said Gilas will use the Doha tilt to develop chemistry and re-integrate AJ Edu into Tim Cone’s system. Edu sat out the last FIBA Asia qualifiers window with a knee injury, but is ready to go now. Also returning to the pool is Barangay Ginebra forward Jamie Malonzo. His teammate Troy Rosario will also fly to Doha, although it’s still not clear if he will play in the qualifiers.
“We have very limited preparation. So, it’s important because we can’t just go straight to FIBA Asia. So, it’s going to be crucial. But again, that’s part of the sacrifice of everybody, being part of the national team with the calendar that we have.”
One might question the plan of flying to Doha to play three games in three days and flying back to Manila. The Gilas Pilipinas coaches feel it’s a necessary move with an eye on the future.
“It’s going to be a long flight,” Del Rosario admitted. “Remember, I think the next World Cup is going to be in Doha. So, it’s going to be a good experience. And we’re playing three national teams there.
“So, it’s going to be a good experience for us. And because we haven’t been together for a long time, we have to take advantage of all the opportunities. So, this is one opportunity.
“It’s tough, but we have to do it. And hopefully, we can use this as a teaching opportunity to develop chemistry. Because you’re going to travel together.”
And although they will be playing their last two FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers on foreign soil, Del Rosario feels confident that Gilas Pilipinas will have more than their fair share of fans in the stands.
“Well, it’s going to be good,” he said. “Because, of course, you have to remember, we have a lot of countrymen in Taiwan and even in New Zealand. So, we want to give them a good game and be proud of the country.
“It’s about pride. And every time you play for the country, it’s not just about just showing up because you qualified. We’re still going to compete and try to win those games because it will develop their confidence.”
Banner Images from Kieran Punay, KLIQ Inc.