Why is the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Important for Gilas Pilipinas?
2023-Aug-24 18:00
2024-Aug-06 14:06
The Philippine men's national basketball team during the FIBA team photoshoot. PHOTO: FIBA
The Philippines will host the FIBA Basketball World Cup 45 years after hosting the quadrennial showpiece in 1978. As the host, the Philippine men's national basketball team, popularly known as Gilas Pilipinas, qualifies automatically for the basketball extravaganza, which will feature 32 teams for the second time since 2019.
Playing at home, Gilas aims to surprise the global stage and make Filipinos proud. Besides aiming for a respectable finish, the Philippines has a larger goal at hand.
This objective only adds to the excitement that the 2023 FIBA World Cup could bring to the table for Filipino basketball fans. But before discussing it, let's take a look back at how Gilas performed in their previous two quadrennial meets.
The Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan will host the opening day game between the Philippines and Dominican Republic on August 25. PHOTO: Philippine News Agency
Group Stage Exits in Last Two World Cups
Gilas was eliminated in the 2014 and 2019 World Cup group stages, finishing dead last in their groups in both editions.
Results-wise, the 2014 Gilas had a better showing, ending its campaign with a 1-4 record, defeating Senegal for its lone victory. Unlike their predecessors, the 2019 squad lost all five games – three in the group stage and two in the classification round.
The Philippines has won only once in their last 10 World Cup matches. Grouped alongside 10th-ranked Italy, a Dominican Republic team led by Karl Anthony Towns, and perennial African powerhouse Angola this 2023, Gilas faces a difficult assignment: advancing to the next round.
With the home court advantage, Gilas seeks to achieve the improbable task of reaching the second round. To make it possible, they must win at least two games. This can also bolster their chances of directly qualifying for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics as the best-performing Asian team.
The official Paris 2024 Olympics logo. PHOTO: Olympics
2024 Olympic Qualification
Ending the Olympic drought in men's basketball for the Philippines is the bigger goal Gilas seeks to achieve while hosting the World Cup. The last time Filipino cagers played in the Olympics was in 1972.
Gilas once ended the Philippines' almost 40-year World Cup absence, then playing for the first time in 52 years in the Olympics can also be achieved. It won't be easy, but the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup offers the national team a chance to directly qualify next year in Paris, as the tournament serves as qualifiers.
Should the Philippines finish as the best Asian team in the final ranking, they will secure an automatic Olympic berth. They will join host France, the top two finishers from the Americas and Europe, and the best African and Oceanian teams in the 2024 Summer Olympics directly. This way, they will no longer participate in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, with the Filipinos falling twice in 2016 and 2021.
PHOTO: FIBA
How Can Gilas Pilipinas Qualify for the Olympics via the World Cup Route?
Considered the easiest path to the 2024 Olympics, qualifying through the World Cup route is a possibility if any of these scenarios happen:
1. The Philippines advances to the second round while other Asian teams are eliminated in the group stages.
To start, below are the groups with an Asian team (indicated in all capital letters and bold):
Group B: CHINA, South Sudan, Serbia, Puerto Rico
Group C: JORDAN, Greece, United States of America, New Zealand
GROUP E: JAPAN, Finland, Germany, Australia
GROUP G: IRAN, Spain, Ivory Coast, Brazil
GROUP H: LEBANON, Latvia, France, Canada
Group C: JORDAN, Greece, United States of America, New Zealand
GROUP E: JAPAN, Finland, Germany, Australia
GROUP G: IRAN, Spain, Ivory Coast, Brazil
GROUP H: LEBANON, Latvia, France, Canada
Looking at these groups, it is easy to say that the Philippines has the biggest chance among the Asian nations, assuming they will surely exit the competition in the group stages. Unfortunately, that's not the case because anything can happen in a game. Upsets are imminent, especially since each nation prepared for this World Cup. In any sport, an unheralded underdog might defeat a powerhouse.
With this in mind, Gilas must take matters personally and never entrust its fate to other Asian teams. Dealing with Group A can be challenging, with National Basketball Association (NBA) players in Italy, the Dominican Republic, and Angola. The Philippines had Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz, but he still needs help from the locals.
2. The Philippines reaches the knockout rounds.
In case Gilas and an Asian team make it to the second round, the nationals can outrank them by advancing to the World Cup knockout stages. In this round, the Philippines will face the top two from Group B. A win or two will be enough for the Filipinos to go as far as the quarterfinals.
3. The Philippines has the best finish among Asians in the 17th-32nd classification phase.
If all Asian teams, including the Philippines, bow out of medal contention in the group stages, their Olympic qualification will be determined by the 17th to 32nd classification round.
Teams from the same continent might even face each other, vying for the Olympic slots, like the Iran-Philippines and South Korea-China matches in the 2019 World Cup. The Iranian side won the direct Olympic slot by quotient over the Chinese squad.
Once Gilas falls into this scenario, winning as many games as possible, including those against continental rivals, is a must.
Gilas Pilipinas ended the 2014 FIBA World Cup with an overtime win against Senegal to give the Philippines its first win in almost four decades. PHOTO: FIBA
Winning is the Only Way to Go
The Philippines qualifying to the Olympics after 52 years will be a dream come true for Filipino basketball fans. Such is undoubtedly the biggest goal the current Gilas Pilipinas lineup and coaching staff will want to achieve. This, apart from reigniting the love of Filipinos for the sport after the setbacks its national team suffered in the last four years.
Despite history not being on their side, the Philippines will want to make the Filipino crowd believe through a deep tournament run. It starts with getting out of Group A by potentially beating the likes of Italy or the Dominican Republic and taking care of business against Angola. To succeed, the only thing Gilas must keep in mind is to win.
To have a hassle-free trip to Paris in 2024, winning and being greedy for it in the World Cup is the only way for the Philippines.