2023 FIBA World Cup: Gilas Pilipinas to play familiar foes in group stage

QUEZON CITY – Gilas Pilipinas will play familiar foes come the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in late August at home.

The Philippine men's national basketball team was drawn in Group A with Italy, Dominican Republic, and Angola during the World Cup draw here at Smart-Araneta Coliseum Saturday night, April 29.

The nationals met Italy and Angola in the 2019 World Cup group stage where they lost both games in Foshan.

Guided by coach Yeng Guiao, the squad composed of naturalized center Andray Blatche and Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) players suffered a 46-point rout at the hands of Italy and a heartbreaking 84-81 overtime loss against Angola.

The Dominican Republic also defeated Gilas, composed of college and semi-professional standouts, mentored by Tab Baldwin in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament last July 2021 in Belgrade, Serbia.

Playing in front of the 2014 World Cup's Most Valuable Fans (MVF) Best Country awardee, the Philippines can redeem themselves from a winless campaign in China four years ago.

The Philippines was dead last in the 32-team tournament with a 0-5 win-loss. They were beaten in their three group stage matches, including a 59-point blowout against Serbia, 126-67, before losing to Tunisia, 86-67, and Iran, 95-75 in the classification round.

All Gilas games will be played at Araneta Coliseum, except their opening fixture to be held at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan as decided by the FIBA Central Board.

Only the top two teams from Groups A – H will advance to the second round.

The 2023 World Cup will run from August 25 – September 10 across three countries in Asia.

A heavyweight clash between the United States of America (USA) and Greece will entertain basketball fans early in the competition, while Spain returned to defend their crown.

The USA, projected to be paraded by National Basketball Association (NBA) superstars, will start their redemption tour in Group C at Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena, Pasay City, but it won't be easy.

Bouncing back from their seventh-place finish in 2019, the team's worst World Cup result, takes defeating European giant Greece, which was expected to be bannered by NBA champion and MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Both sides took each other in the second round of World Cup 2019 with the Americans winning the encounter, 69-53.

Joining them were Asia-Pacific qualifiers New Zealand and Jordan.

Defending champion and world number one Spain will begin its title defense in Group G slated at Indonesia Arena, Jakarta with Brazil, Iran, and Ivory Coast.

Serbia, fifth globally, will be tested by World Cup debutant South Sudan and veterans Puerto Rico and China in Group B at Araneta Coliseum.

Taking place in MOA Arena, Group D will feature European sides Lithuania and Montenegro, placed ninth and 25th in the 2019 edition, and Mexico and Egypt, both returning to the world stage after missing the trip to China.

Host Japan will go up against 2019 fourth-placer and third-ranked Australia, and returnees from Europe Finland and Germany in its territory at Okinawa Arena, Okinawa City.

This marked Finland's second World Cup qualification while Germany failed to qualify in the previous two editions of the quadrennial meet.

Luka Doncic will make his World Cup debut with Slovenia in the Land of the Rising Sun after being drawn in Group F alongside Venezuela, Georgia, and Cape Verde.

Tokyo 2020 silver medalist and World Cup 2019 bronze winner France will go for another podium finish, beginning in Group H at Indonesia with Canada, Latvia, and Lebanon.