GILAS Pilipinas is going for gold in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025, but it's careful not to get ahead of itself, too.
The Philippine men's basketball team is not lacking in confidence when it begin its campaign in the continental showpiece with a game against Chinese Taipei on Tuesday (Early Wednesday morning Manila time) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
“I’ll say it again. Our goal is to win a gold medal. That’s our goal,” said Gilas coach Tim Cone. “We are going to go out there and try to win a gold medal.”
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“Will we? I’m not sure. That’s certainly our goal. That’s not what we’re focused on though,” said Cone.
The last time it took part in a continental tournament, the Philippines under Cone won the 2023 Asian Games gold medal for the first time in nearly four decades.
This time, the quest at the FIBA Asia Cup will be a lot tougher after going through a rigorous qualifying stage, and having to deal with Oceania powerhouse teams Australia and New Zealand in the Jeddah final.
Incidentally, the Philippines will go up against New Zealand in Group D play on Thursday in a litmus test on whether or not Gilas is capable of winning the Asia Cup gold with a team left without injured big man Kai Sotto.
The Philippines is seeking redemption from a doomed 2022 campaign in Jakarta where it failed to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2007 in Tokushima.
Prior to that, the Philippines reached the finals twice - in 2013 to Iran on home soil under Chot Reyes and in 2015 in Changsha where Gilas under Tab Baldwin lost to host China. It also lost to South Korea in their quarterfinal in 2017 in Lebanon.
Cone, however, is not looking past Gilas' opening game against Chinese Taipei - the final offering of a quadruple header to begin the tournament. Gametime is Tuesday, 9 p.m. local time (Wednesday, 2 a.m. Philippine time).
“We’re focused on every day, what we do every day, we’re focused right now on the first game we play. And beyond that, there’s nothing.
"Right now, our goal is certainly to win a gold medal. And we’ll do what we can to get there. But we’re not going to look that far ahead. Right now, our goal is there but our focus is what’s right in front of us,” said Cone.
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Gilas began its preparations last July 7. From once-a-week practices, the Nationals ramped up activities with daily training which moved from the Upper Deck in Pasig City to The Hustle Fitness Performance in Angeles, Pampanga.
Gilas also had two tune-up games prior to the Asia Cup, beating Macau Black Bears, 103-98, last July 28 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum, and Jordan, 75-61, last August 2 in Jeddah.
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