MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 Men capped off a remarkable campaign in the 2026 FIBA 3x3 Nations League Asia 2 competitions by securing a berth in the 2026 FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup after a dominant run in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.Competing against fellow Under-21 teams from Japan, New Zealand, Belarus, Singapore, and Malaysia, the Philippines reached the finals in five of the six stops, winning three en route to the first-place finish.Gilas started their campaign with back-to-back wins, but they suffered a tight loss to Belarus in the Stop 1 Finals.
After missing out on a podium finish for Stop 2, Gilas bounced back big time by beating Japan to win Stop 3.
The young Filipino ballers made sure there was no doubt about who the best team was as they defeated New Zealand and Japan to win Stops 4 and 5 via game-winning two-point baskets.The Philippines finished with 520 points in the tournament, 50 points clear of second-place Japan, to earn a spot in the FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup, marking another significant milestone for the SBP’s rapidly growing 3x3 program.SBP Executive Director Erika Dy emphasized that the accomplishment reflects the federation's continued investment in the 3x3 discipline and the willingness of stakeholders across Philippine basketball to work together in developing national teams.“Earlier this year, our Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 Women ended an eight-year drought to make it back to the FIBA 3x3 World Cup.
Now Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 Men will also end their own eight-year drought to make it back to the FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup,” said Dy.
“This achievement is further proof that Filipinos are world-class not just in basketball but also in 3x3.
With the support....
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