FIBA releases schedule for 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament

It will be an uphill battle for our Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 Team in the 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament that will be staged in Graz, Austria from May 26 to 30.

Philippines, ranked Number 20 in the world, is part of Pool C together with France, Dominican Republic, Slovenia, and Qatar in the elimination round, where only the top two teams of each group will advance to the knockout rounds scheduled on the last day of the tournament.

In the schedule released by FIBA, Gilas will open the tournament against Number 26 Qatar on May 26. On the same day, they will meet Slovenia, ranked Number 3 in the world, to wrap up their first day of the tournament.

After a day of rest, our Nationals will face Number 33 Dominican Republic on May 28 then followed by Number 10 France on a later time of the same day.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas tapped Number 1 and Number 2 3x3 players in the country, Joshua Munzon and Alvin Pasaol and 2019 SEA Games gold medalist Moala Tautuaa and CJ Perez to banner the Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 squad for the tournament.

The team intends to start the preparation and training for the event next week at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna. The arrangement also comes with a clause that SBP will allow the players to attend the scrimmages of their mother teams in the PBA once IATF already allowed it in the NCR.

Only the top three teams at the end of the competition will book a ticket to the inaugural staging of the half-court basketball game in the Tokyo Olympics.

Images from ESPN5 and FIBA