THE Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is pulling out all the stops in the lead-up to the country’s hosting of the FIBA World Cup next year.
SBP Executive Director Sonny Barrios yesterday said Gilas Pilipinas’ home matches in the sixth window of the Asian qualifiers in February next year will be played at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
“Hangga’t maaari, nilalaruan na natin iyong tatlong venue na lalaruan sa World Cup,” Barrios said yesterday in the Philippine Sportswriters Association forum.
“Parang nag-OJT na rin iyong local organizing committee kapag nagho-host tayo sa iba’t ibang venue natin,” he added.
The Philippines will take on Lebanon on Feb. 24 and Jordan three days later.
The 55,000-seat venue will be the site of the final phase of the World Cup, with the Smart Araneta Coliseum and Mall of Asia, as well as the Okinawa Arena in Japan and Indonesia Arena in Jakarta being the venues for the group stages of the world cage spectacle from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10.
It will mark the first Gilas games at the Philippine Arena since the infamous Philippines-Australia brawl in July 2018.
The SBP is also working on the naturalization of Ginebra do-it-all import Justin Brownlee and TNT reinforcement Cameron Oliver.
The Filipinos ripped Saudi Arabia 76-63 last Monday 76-63 in Group E action of the fifth window in Jeddah.
The nationals also brought down Jordan 74-66 five days ago in Amman and improved to 5-3 heading into the February window of the no-bearing qualifiers since the Philippines has qualified for the world cage spectacle next year as co-hosts with Japan and Indonesia.
