INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines?There are no more easy games for the Nokia Team Pilipinas in the Fiba Asia Under-16 Men?s Championship.

?We are now in a situation where we want to be,? said RP coach Eric Altamirano after the Nationals swept their three-game assignment in Group B Saturday. ?We just have to be extra careful because from now on, every day is a furious battle.?

After beating Japan, Kazakhstan and Bahrain, the Philippines began its quarterfinal quest against Syria Sunday night at the Bandaraya Stadium in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

The Filipinos face the Iranians on Monday and the Jordanians on Tuesday in the group battles. The Nationals need at least two wins to secure a semifinal slot in the tournament which stakes two slots to the Fiba U-17 World Championship in Hamburg next year.

The other quarterfinal group is composed of China, Korea, Chinese Taipei and Japan.

?We have to continue working hard and take one game at a time,? said Altamirano. June Navarro