Gilas Pilipinas headed to Spain for Fiba World Cup build up

MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas is set for a training camp in Spain ahead of the 2019 Fiba World Cup in China.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio submitted the national team’s itinerary before the PBA Board on Thursday at the league’s office in Libis, Quezon City.

Gilas will play in a pocket tournament that features World Cup-bound teams Spain, the world’s no.2 team, and Ivory Coast, the 64th team in the World, and also world no. 82 Congo.

The Philippines are no.31 in the world and is the fourth-ranked country in the Fiba Asia region.

Gilas’ trip to Spain, though, is still being finalized since it will follow the rescheduling of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

The SBP initially eyed a training camp either in Spain or Russia, but they chose to go with the peninsular country’s offer since the Russian Basketball Federation could only bid one tune-up game.

“It fell through [the Russian training camp] since it’s only one game that they are committing to us,” said Panlilio.

The Fiba World Cup is set from August 31 to Sept. 15 in Foshan, China.