Gilas Pilipinas opens Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers vs Korea

FILE — Young Gilas team which competed in the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers in Bahrain. FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas will open its stint in the final window of the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers against Korea on June 16.

Fiba has announced the tournament schedule for Group A, B and C, with the games to be held in a bubble in Clark, Pampanga.

The Philippines will then play Indonesia on June 19 before taking on Korea again to wrap up its campaign on June 20.

Gilas only needs one win to book a spot in the Fiba Asia Cup in Indonesia which is scheduled from Aug. 17-29 in Jakarta.

"I feel like we (🇮🇩) can be up there with the Philippines 🇵🇭and with Korea 🇰🇷!" – #BrandonJawato#FIBAAsiaCup @perbasi_ina

— FIBA Asia Cup (@FIBAasiacup) April 23, 2021

The Nationals, who lead Group A with a 3-0 record, are coming off a 2-0 sweep of Thailand in the second window last November.

The Philippines will be fielding in an all-cadets squad bolstered by teen prodigy Kai Sotto and hopefully, Angelo Kouame as well.

Sotto, 18, has already committed to playing for Gilas in both the Asia Cup qualifiers and the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in July.

The 7-foot-3 Sotto on Wednesday announced he signed a deal to play for the Adelaide 36ers in Australia’s National Basketball League.