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[av_heading heading=’ Gilas opens FIBA-Asia campaign vs China ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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MANILA – The road will not be easy for the national men’s basketball team. It faces defending champion China at the start of the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup on Aug. 8 at the Nouhad Nawfal Arena in Beirut, Lebanon.
China and Gilas Pilipinas were the top two teams at the end of the last FIBA Asia Championship in 2015 in Changsa, China, with the hosts prevailing 78-67 in the finale game.
In the two country’s previous faceoff, Gilas Pilipinas scored a 72-69 upset over the Chinese in the Imperial City Tournament last year at the Land Rover Arena in Paladozza, Italy.
Leading the way for the Vincent “Chot” Reyes-mentored Gilas are PBA veterans June Mar Fajardo, Terrence Romeo, Calvin Abueva, Jayson Castro, Japeth Aguilar, Gabe Norwood, and Raymond Almazan.
Also inserted in the Final 12 are Gilas Cadets Matthew Wright, Roger Pogoy, Carl Bryan Cruz and Jiovani Jalalon. Filipino-German Christian Standhardinger will serve as naturalized player.
After the Chinese team, Gilas will next face Iraq on Aug. 11 before the Filipinos conclude Group B matches against Qatar on August 13. It is the first time that Asia and Oceania teams will play together in FIBA Asia.
Group A features Iran, Jordan, Syria and India, while the Group C is led by host team Lebanon, Kazakhstan, South Korea and New Zealand, and in Group D are Japan, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei and Australia.
Only the winners from each of the four groups following round robin play advance directly to the quarterfinals while the second- and third-placed teams from each bracket figure in knockout matches to determine the last four quarterfinalists./PN
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