GILAS Pilipinas Women is bracing for a tough campaign in the 2021 Fiba Women's Asia Cup in Amman from September 27 to October 3.
The Philippine national women's team has been drawn in a loaded Group B where it is set to play two teams which participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Standing in Gilas Women's way are China, which finished fifth in the quadrennial games, and Australia, which ended up at eighth.
China actually won the silver in the 2019 offing in Bengaluru, while Australia was the bronze medalist.
Completing the four-team bracket is Chinese Taipei, which ended up sixth in the continental cup three years ago.
In the other bracket, Olympic silver medalist and reigning Fiba Asia Cup champion Japan leads Group A where it is drawn against Korea, New Zealand, and India.
Gilas without top players
Gilas Women is looking to remain in Level I of Fiba Asia after finishing seventh in the 2019 Fiba Women's Asia Cup with a 92-78 win over India.
The Pat Aquino-mentored crew, however, will be missing the services of Jack Animam and Kelli Hayes, leaving the reins to veterans Afril Bernardino, Janine Pontejos, and Clare Castro, as well as debutants Ella Fajardo and Camille Clarin.
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