NGAYON ay alam na ng Gilas Pilipinas Men ang mga koponang makakalaban nila sa 2023 FIBA World Cup Asia & Oceania Qualifiers.
At excited na si Gilas program director at head coach Tab Baldwin na kabilang ang koponan sa Group A ng 2023 World Cup Asian Qualifiers kasama ang New Zealand, Korea at India.
Naganap ang qualifiers draw nitong Martes sa Patrick Baumann House of Basketball sa Mies, Switzerland.
Bilang host countries, ang Pilipinas at Japan ay awtomatiko nang qualified sa World Cup.
Samantalang ang ikatlong host na Indonesia ay kailangang makapasok sa top eight ng FIBA Asia Cup (sa Hulyo 2022) upang magkaroon ng automatic berth.
Masaya ang Gilas coach sa kinalabasan ng qualifiers draw. “I think the first thing that came into my mind was Korea again knowing that’s gonna be – you know, it’s more than just a game.
We have to play them twice again and there’s gonna be some feeling on that because of the last game.”
Inamin ni Baldwin sa One Sports na nasasabik din siyang makaharap ng Philippine team ang New Zealand at India.
“I’m a New Zealander, so that’s gonna be interesting, but I’m fairly distance from most of the guys in that program now,” sabi niya. “But the other one really caught my attention is India. Of course because I’ve been into so many countries in the world over many many years but never in India, so I’m looking forward to that. I’m excited about that.”
Dagdag na pahayag ni Baldwin: “It’s gonna be a tough route but I’m positive and encouraged by the fact that we can do well and enter the second phase with some success and earn our right to – instead of being gifted the right to the World Cup, earn our right and I think that will be the best for the players’ mentality as well.”
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