GILAS Pilipinas men qualified for the FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup, ending an eight-year absence in the world meet.
Koji Buenaflor, Earl Medina, Jhuniel Dela Rama, Cabs Cabonilas and Jedrick Daa joined forces to top the U21 FIBA 3x3 Nations League Asia 2 in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, and secure the world cup berth.
Out of six stops in the competition which ran from July 13 to July 19, the Filipinos made the finals five times and won three of them to finish with the tournament-best 520 points.
Gilas ruled stops 3, 5 and 6 while placing second in stops 1 and 4, with stop 2 being the only leg that the Filipinos failed to make the podium.
Japan finished second to the Philippines with 470 points followed by New Zealand (430), Belarus (405), Singapore (305) and Malaysia (300).
Gilas returned to the World Cup for the first time since 2018, when then-amateurs RJ Abarrientos, Ricci Rivero, Rhayyan Amsali and Jeepy Faundo finished ninth overall out of 20 teams.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Erika Dy said that Gilas returning to 3x3 U23 World Cup is proof that Filipinos are world-class in the half-court game.
“Earlier this year, our Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 Women ended an eight-year drought to make it back to the FIBA 3x3 World Cup. Now Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 Men will also end their own eight-year drought to make it back to the FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup,” said Dy.
“This achievement is further proof that Filipinos are world-class not just in basketball but also in 3x3. With the support of our sponsors and the commitment of stakeholders, the SBP will continue to put our athletes in positions to succeed.”
The 3x3 U23 World Cup will take place in China from Sept. 15 to 19.
