Gilas Pilipinas leaves for Doha on Saturday

FILE PHOTO — Gilas Pilipinas coach Jong Uichico.

MANILA, Philippines–Gilas Pilipinas will leave for Doha, Qatar on Saturday, as it prepares to clinch a slot to the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup that will be held in Indonesia in August.

The team, however, will face uncertainty regarding the status of 19-year-old prodigy Kai Sotto, who arrived in the Philippines just as the country was placed under stricter—and longer—quarantine protocols to control the spread of a more dangerous variant of the new coronavirus.

The SBP is expected to sort out the Sotto issue soon.

IATF rules require a 14-day quarantine for those arriving from COVID-19 hotspots.

Gilas is scheduled to play on February 18 against Korea.