GILAS Pilipinas games in the sixth window of the 2023 Fiba Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers will be held at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Sonny Barrios bared on Tuesday that the stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan will be the venue for Gilas Pilipinas' home games in February next year.
See Gilas vows show for fans when it hosts Lebanon, Jordan in February window
Barrios made the annoucement in Tuesday's Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum.
"Hangga't maari, nilalaruan na natin yung tatlong venue na lalaruan sa World Cup," he said.
Gilas will host Lebanon on Feb. 24 before playing Jordan on Feb. 27.
Barrios shared that it's also a chance for the local organizing committees to prepare ahead of the main event.
"Parang nag-OJT na rin yung local organizing committee pag nagho-host tayo sa iba't ibang venue natin," he said.
Philippine Arena will be the site of the final phase of the World Cup, with Smart Araneta Coliseum and Mall of Asia, as well as Okinawa Arena in Japan and Indonesia Arena in Jakarta being the venues for the group stages.
This will be the first Gilas games at Philippine Arena since the infamous Philippines-Australia brawl in July 2018.
Gilas, carrying a 5-3 record in Group E, swept its road games in the fifth window against Jordan and Saudi Arabia and is already qualified to the World Cup as one of the hosts.