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FIBA announced on Friday that the Philippines will be one of three venues for the next window of the FIBA Asian Cup Qualifiers 2021 in February next year.
The third and final window will be held in Clark, Pampanga from February 18-22, 2021, and will be home to eight national teams, among which are Gilas Pilipinas Men.
They are joined by other Group A countries, South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand. Gilas currently leads Group A with a 3-0 record.
As the recently concluded PBA bubble shows, Clark could host up to 12 teams at a time. Therefore, FIBA decided that the Philippines will also host Group C, which comprises New Zealand, Australia, Guam and Hong Kong.
They were chosen by the basketball governing body because they could competently cater for health and travel guarantees, and they could comply with FIBA health protocols. These include testing and controlled entry to a secure environment.
Other bubbles will take place in Tokyo, Japan; Manama, Bahrain and; Doha, Qatar.
The Japanese will be home to Group B, which are Chinese Taipei, Japan, Malaysia and China. Qatar, for its part, will host Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia in Group E.
Bahrain, which successfully hosted the November window, will also host two groups, Group D and F.
Group D will be made up of Lebanon, Bahrain, India and Iraq, while Group F will feature Jordan, Kazakhstan, Palestine and Sri Lanka.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas welcomed the development as they see it as a vote of confidence from FIBA.
“We are committed to accommodation and are delighted that FIBA Asia has shown us trust and security by giving it to us. In partnership with the government and Clark, we will ensure a safe environment for all competing countries in the February 2021 windows. “. “SBP Pres. Al S. Panlilio told ESPN5.com in a message.
“We are grateful for FIBA’s confidence in our ability to host not only a successful tournament but, more importantly, a safe one,” continued Panlilio. “We are pleased to have met your health standards and look forward to welcoming Korea, Indonesia and Thailand, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Guam and Hong Kong from Group C.
“The SBP is delighted to show you the same warmth of Philippine hospitality even in these difficult circumstances. We are also grateful to the PBA for sharing their experience with us after successfully organizing the PBA bubble and we look forward to working hand in hand. hand in hand with them, the involved Philippine government agencies and other Filipino basketball stakeholders in this unique opportunity. “
