GILAS Pilipinas Women will open its 20th Asian Games stint on Thursday when it goes up against Kazakhstan at the Aichi International Arena.
The women’s basketball competition in the quadrennial meet begins with the Philippines playing Kazakhstan in the second game of a tripleheader at 4 p.m. local time (3 p.m. Philippine time).
Gilas Women will try to improve on its fifth-place finish in the last edition of the Asiad after a quarterfinal loss to South Korea in Hangzhou, China.
Ironically, Gilas Pilipinas Women was also bracketed with Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, and Japan in Group B in the Hangzhou edition.
In the last edition, Gilas Women defeated Kazakhstan, 83-59, which was also held in the opener.
Gilas Women has beefed up its roster with naturalized player Elizabeth Means to join forces with Stefanie Berberabe, Afril Bernardino, Camille Clarin, Monique Del Carmen, Camille Malagar, Jhazmin Joson, Kent Pastrana, Karl Ann Pingol, Janine Pontejos, Angel Surada, and Hazelle Yam.
A win for the players of BT Toews will be vital with the top two teams in each of the three groups and the two best third placers advancing to the quarterfinals.
Gilas Women is also grouped with Japan, whose national team is coming off a stint in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup although it has a different line-up for the Asiad.
Gilas Women recently competed in the FIBA Women’s Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico, winning over Senegal in the final match of the tournament.
That team had Jack Animam and Vanessa De Jesus but the two will not play in the Asian Games.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
