GOOD FORTUNE rained down on the Philippines as they got the luck of the draw and drew lightweight teams in the elimination round of the upcoming Fiba Asia Men’s Basketball Championship this September in China.
The country’s representatives, the Gilas Pilipinas, placed second behind champions Iran in the 2013 edition of this prestigious competition, a feat that earned the country a spot in the Fiba Basketball World Cup last year.
With an eye on making yet another splash on the international stage, the Gilas found itself grouped in Group B alongside Palestine, Kuwait, and a country from East Asia which would either be Hong Kong or Mongolia, during the official draw last Saturday in China.
Iran was drawn in Group A with Japan, Malaysia and to-be determined South Asia country while China will be with Korea, Jordan and Singapore in Group C. Chinese Taipei, Lebanon, Qatar, and Kazakhstan are in Group D, in what is considered to be this year’s “Group of Death.”
The top three teams from each group will move on to the next round. Only the champion squad gains a spot to the 2016 Summer Olympics’ hoop tournament in Rio de Janeiro.