EXCITEMENT runs high with the return of Gilas Pilipinas to the court in the February window of the 2023 Fiba World Cup Asian qualifiers.
It's a brand new look for the national team with coach Chot Reyes back in the saddle, but the goal of fighting for flag and country remains the same.
For the first time in nearly three years, fans can provide that homecourt advantage for Gilas as the Smart Araneta Coliseum started selling tickets for the Fiba games set Feb. 24 to 28.
Only the tickets for lower box at P530 and upper box at P215 have been released for sale as the Big Dome will only allow a limited capacity crowd for the games, still pursuant to the COVID-19 restrictions mandated by the Quezon City government.
Fans who wish to watch Gilas, though, will have to be fully vaccinated and present their vaccination cards, while also being required to register through the KyusiPass app or the StaySafe app.
Gilas Pilipinas will be reinforced by the TNT Tropang Giga
Of course, not all fans can be present inside the venue as they will have to resort to watching their games on their TV screens.
TV5, the official Fiba broadcaster in the country, is expected to show all of Gilas Pilipinas' games live in their flagship channel.
Here's the schedule of the Philippine national team in this window:
Feb. 24, Thursday
6:00 p.m. - Korea vs Philippines
Feb. 25, Friday
6:00 p.m. - India vs Philippines
Feb. 27, Sunday
7:00 p.m. - New Zealand vs Philippines
Feb. 28, Monday
6:00 p.m. - Philippines vs Korea
Aside from them, all games in this window will also be shown on One Sports and One Sports+.
Here's the full schedule for the games at the Big Dome:
Feb. 24, Thursday
3:00 p.m. - New Zealand vs India
6:00 p.m. - Korea vs Philippines
Feb. 25, Friday
3:00 p.m. - New Zealand vs Korea
6:00 p.m. - India vs Philippines
Feb. 27, Sunday
4:30 p.m. - India vs Korea
7:00 p.m. - New Zealand vs Philippines
Feb. 28, Monday
3:00 p.m. - India vs New Zealand
6:00 p.m. - Philippines vs Korea
Fans can also watch the games on their mobile device through the Cignal Play app, just like what is done in the PBA.
The same goes for the Smart GigaPlay app, although this feature is only limited for Smart subscribers.
There is also Courtside 1891, an over-the-top streaming service where fans can watch basketball games from all over the globe including the continental qualifiers and the other Fiba competitions while also having access on schedules, live statistics, stories, and highlights.
The event pass is priced at US$6.99 (about P360) in the Philippines which covers only this said window, but it offers a 25 percent early bird discount for those who register before Feb. 24.
It offers three levels of access, the first being free with access for highlights, schedules, and live scores; the Plus pass where fans must register to gain access to extended highlights and a curated feed; and a Max pass, a paid subscription that gives fans access to live games and full on-demand replays.
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