Gilas loses narrowly to world No. 15 Poland, showing that—despite some glitches—it is now armed well enough for OQT battle

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San Antonio mainstay in the NBA Jeremy Sochan (left) tries to dribble past Justin Brownlee in late second half action. —PHOTO COURTESY OF POLAND BASKETBALL FEDERATION

Gilas Pilipinas spent little time ruing another narrow loss in its preparations geared toward the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Latvia.

“Now the real fight begins,” national coach Tim Cone wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday noon (Manila time), swiftly putting behind an 82-80 loss at the hands of World No. 15 Poland which is also preparing its own OQT that will be held in Valencia, Spain.

The Nationals looked poised for a good outing at Sosnowiec Arena on early Sunday, thanks to a balanced attack led by Justin Brownlee, Dwight Ramos, June Mar Fajardo and Kai Sotto.

But miscues in the second period allowed the Poles to mount a fightback. The hosts held on and kept their poise in the final period, dousing Gilas’ spirited tries at a comeback and ultimately denying the Filipinos a chance at pocketing a morale-boosting win right before it plunges into the OQT in Riga.

Brownlee had 30 points to lead Gilas anew. He also starred in the loss to Turkey two nights ago. Ramos, meanwhile, added 16.

The Philippines actually enjoyed a nine-point edge in the first half before falling prey to disjointed play in the third period that had Cone fuming in one of the time-outs.

Cone being livid

“We’re not even trying anymore,” the seasoned mentor, livid, could be heard saying during the broadcast. “This isn’t about ‘Hey, yeah! Let’s go! Let’s go!’ That’s bulls**t. It’s about fu***ng doing your job, fellas!”

“We look like an Asian team right now. We look like a team who are playing Asia—and not European,” he added. “[I]f we’re gonna fu***ng play like sh**, we have no fu***ng chance. Get your head out your a** and let’s start playing!”

Gilas smoothened the gaps after that tongue-lashing, with Brownlee and Ramos joining hands in turning a 13-point hole to just a five-point deficit, 82-77, with 1:43 remaining.

The Nationals, however, couldn’t make the most out of the time left to complete a turnaround against the Jeremy Sochan-led Poles as Chris Newsome’s freebie and CJ Perez’ layup both came a little too late.

The Philippines thus settled for a 1-2 win-loss record in its preparatory games, the lone victory at the expense of club team Taiwan Mustangs. Capable

The Inquirer reached out to Cone just before the Philippine contingent left for Riga on Sunday, but the decorated mentor has yet to respond as of press time.

While moral victories don’t count for Cone and the rest of the Gilas brain trust, the gallant stand against Poland can still give the Nationals a good indication of their capabilities ahead of the tall task in Riga where World No. 6 Latvia and No. 23-ranked Georgia await.

The Philippines lost to Poland by just two points. And that should be an achievement in itself considering how the Poles handily beat New Zealand in an earlier friendly, where they won by 29 points.

While pulling off a stunner in Riga may be difficult, Cone has repeatedly said that it won’t be impossible.



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“I keep saying, it’s not impossible. It’s tough, sure. It’s always tough for us, but I feel we haven’t brought a team like this in OQT before,” he said. INQ

Gilas girls enter topflight Fiba company after China romp

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The Gilas girls, with program director Pat Aquino (second from right), erupt in celebration as the final buzzer sounds. —FIBA ASIA PHOTO

The Gilas Pilipinas crew crushed one foe after another on its way to the Fiba U18 Asia Cup for Women’s finale, but on the eve of its most important game, national coach Julie Amos assured everyone that this band of hard-fighting girls still has another gear in it.

And they did just that on Sunday, ripping Lebanon to shreds, 95-64, at Futian Sports Park in Shenzhen, China, to complete a riveting quest that not only secured a Division A promotion but also completed the program’s redemption story.

Alyssa Rodriguez starred for the young Nationals with 22 points built on six triples. Alicia Villanueva, Naomi Panganiban, Sophia Canindo and Ava Fajardo also came through with twin-digit scores as the young Filipinos repeated over the Lebanese after dismantling them in the group phase.

“Now the seniors, U-18, and U-16 programs are all in Division A. We know there’s a lot more to work on. We celebrate now [but] prepare for the future,” Amos told the Inquirer shortly after the triumph.

“We are so happy for the girls and the program. With the support of the [Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas], especially executive director Erika Dy and president Al Panlilio, we wouldn’t have made this happen,” assistant coach and women’s program director Pat Aquino said in a separate message.

Breaking away

The Nationals got to work in the second period, scoring 33 while limiting the enemy to just nine points. That cutthroat trend carried over to the second half, as the Gilas girls played commendable team basketball with Gabriella Ramos, Jolzyne Impreso, Aubrey Lapasaran, Ashlyn Abong, Tiffany Reyes, Margarette Duenas and Venice Quinte all contributing.

The triumph atoned for the Filipinos’ botched attempt two years ago in Bangalore, India, where the National Five ran into Malaysia in the semifinals, eventually falling short of tabbing a promotion.

The Gilas girls can now compete in the main tournament where Asia’s traditional powerhouses are at. Australia and China are battling for the Division A crown at Longhua Cultural and Sports Center as of press time.

“We’ve had an amazing run from the Seaba to the Asia Cup. We hope that we continue to give honor to our country and kababayans,” Aquino said. INQ



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LeBron James intends to sign a new deal with Lakers

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FILE – Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James gestures for a call in the second half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets Monday, April 29, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

LeBron James is going to move toward a new contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. Paul George and Klay Thompson may simply be on the move to new NBA teams.

And the NBA’s free agency period, which officially starts Sunday, suddenly has some intrigue.

James did not exercise his option to accept what would have been a $51.4 million contract for this coming season and instead is seeking a new deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, a person with knowledge of the decision said Saturday.

The terms of the new deal could be finalized quickly, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither James nor the Lakers revealed the decision publicly. ESPN, The Athletic and the Los Angeles Times all reported the decision earlier Saturday.

Meanwhile, George made a similar decision, the nine-time All-Star choosing to not opt-in for what would have been a $48.8 million contract this coming season with the Los Angeles Clippers — a team that he’s spent the past five years with, averaging 23 points per game. He’ll become a free agent and is planning to talk to the Clippers about a new deal and also intends to hear pitches from Orlando and Philadelphia, plus potentially others, a person briefed on George’s plans told AP on Saturday night.

READ: NBA: Lakers hope to lock down LeBron James for good next

Saturday’s moves came just ahead of the NBA’s free agency period, which formally opens at 6 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, though at least $1.2 billion in contracts already have been agreed upon because of new rules that allowed teams to speak with their own players about new deals — in many situations — starting on the day after the NBA Finals.

Among those already having agreed to deals that cannot be finalized until the new league year opens on July 6: Toronto teammates Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, Miami’s Bam Adebayo, Indiana’s Pascal Siakam, and New York’s OG Anunoby.

It was expected that James would technically be a free agent. It’s also been expected that he would stay with the Lakers.

The Lakers selected Bronny James — LeBron James’ oldest son — on Thursday in the second round of the draft, putting them in position to have the first on-court father-son duo in NBA history. And with a new deal, it’s even possible that LeBron James could sign for a lower number than he could have commanded to give the Lakers additional financial flexibility for other moves.

“He is prioritizing a roster improvement,” James’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, told ESPN on Saturday. “He’s been adamant about exuding all efforts to improve the roster.”

READ: Bronny James picked by Lakers in NBA draft

LeBron James is a four-time champion and is about $20 million shy of becoming the first player in league history to top $500 million in on-court earnings. Add in his many off-court ventures and investments, and his net worth has been presumed to be more than $1 billion for some time now.

He’ll turn 40 in December and will tie Vince Carter this season in terms of most seasons played in NBA history; the 2024-25 campaign will be James’ 22nd in the league. He averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists last season — as the oldest active player in the league.

And if he’s going to leave money on the table, he’s going to want a player who can help the Lakers contend for a title again. Among the Lakers’ potential targets: Golden State’s Klay Thompson, a free agent who could be on the move for the first time in his career.

Thompson, a starter on all four of the Warriors’ championship teams of this era and half of the famed “Splash Brothers” duo alongside 3-point king Stephen Curry, has spent all 13 of his NBA years with Golden State. And his status — will he go back to the Warriors or not? — is one of the biggest questions that’ll be answered in the coming days. It may not be financially possible for Golden State to retain Thompson.



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“We want him back. We’ve said that all along,” Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy said on June 24. “Hopefully he’ll come back. But as far as the specifics and discussions and those types of things, I think it’s important to keep in-house and that stuff. When we figure out a solution to all that, we’ll have news for you.”

Teofimo Lopez dominates Steve Claggett to retain WBO title

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Teofimo Lopez tags Steve Claggett with a hard right during their WBO junior welterweight world title fight in Miami, Florida. Mikey Williams/Top Rank

American Teofimo Lopez retained his World Boxing Organization junior welterweight title on Saturday with a unanimous decision victory over Canada’s Steve Claggett.

Judges gave Lopez a 12-round triumph by lopsided scores of 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109.

Lopez improved to 21-1 and took his fifth consecutive victory since losing a 2021 showdown for multiple world lightweight titles to Australian George Kambosos.

READ: Teofimo Lopez announces retirement after winning light welterweight title

Claggett fell to 38-8 with two drawn after dropping his first world title bout to snap a nine-fight win streak.

Lopez defended for a second time the crown he won by defeating Scotland’s Josh Taylor last June by unanimous decision in New York. He also beat countryman Jamaine Ortiz in February by unanimous decision in Las Vegas.

Lopez, 26, says he is looking to an eventual move from 140 pounds to the 147-pound welterweight division.

Claggett, 35, stayed in front of Lopez and traded punches with the larger champion through the early rounds, pressing the attack and smothering Lopez to set the pace.

READ: Teofimo Lopez handles Josh Taylor to win light welterweight title

Lopez answered with body blows and uppercuts, matching the Canadian’s output and creating space for harder punches by rounds three and four, which Lopez dominated thanks to rocking uppercuts and quick flurries.

Lopez kept Claggett more at bay by the fifth round but the challenger stayed toe-to-toe and exchanged punches round after round.

Two powerful Lopez right uppercuts stunned Claggett in the eighth round and Lopez bloodied the Canadian’s nose in the 11th round, staying in command to the finish.



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Djokovic battles to save legacy of Wimbledon’s golden generation

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Serbia’s Novak Djokovic reacts after a game during his men’s singles round of sixteen match against Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo on Court Philippe-Chatrier on day nine of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros Complex in Paris on June 3, 2024. (Photo by Emmanuel Dunand / AFP)

Novak Djokovic is poised to mount a one-man battle to preserve the legacy of Wimbledon’s golden generation in the face of an increasingly successful new wave spearheaded by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

However, the odds will be stacked against the seven-time champion and the holder of 24 Grand Slam titles when the tournament gets underway on Monday.

Arriving in London having recently undergone knee surgery, the 37-year-old Serb, runner-up to Alcaraz last year, has seen his Grand Slam powers eroded in 2024.

READ: Djokovic to play at Paris Olympics, says Serbia

He was succeeded as Australian Open champion by Sinner with the Italian also taking his world number one ranking.

Djokovic then saw his French Open crown pass to Alcaraz after he limped out of Paris suffering from a torn meniscus in his right knee.

If Djokovic equals Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles, he would become the oldest champion of the modern era.

“I have this incredible desire to play, just to compete,” said Djokovic who will take on 123rd-ranked Vit Kopriva of the Czech Republic in his opener on Tuesday.

“Just the thought of missing Wimbledon was not correct.”

READ: Jannik Sinner takes over No. 1 spot from Novak Djokovic

With Federer now retired, Rafael Nadal skipping the tournament to focus on the Paris Olympics and Andy Murray playing in the aftermath of a back operation, there is definitely change in the air in south-west London.

Germany’s world number four Alexander Zverev on Saturday predicted this year’s Wimbledon will be the “most open in 20 years”.

The likelihood is that for the first time since 2002, the men’s final on July 14 will not feature at least one of the ‘Big Four’ who have swept up 19 of the last 20 titles.

Alcaraz, at 21 and 16 years Djokovic’s junior, is already a three-time major winner.

‘Big challenge’

He captured the US Open in 2022 while still a teenager, defeated Djokovic in a five-set final at Wimbledon in 2023 before seeing off Zverev in another five setter at the French Open this month.

Alcaraz, who opens Centre Court action on Monday against 262nd-ranked Mark Lajal of Estonia, has a chance to complete a rare French Open-Wimbledon double in the same season.

“I know that it’s going to be a really difficult and big challenge for me, but I think I’m ready to do it,” said the Spaniard.

Sinner, 22, made the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year and celebrated his first grass-court title at Halle this month.

The top-seeded Italian has racked up four titles in 2024, losing just three of 41 matches. He faces Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann in his Monday opener.

Wimbledon will also bid an emotional farewell to two-time champion Murray.

The 37-year-old British star, who famously ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a Wimbledon men’s champion with his 2013 victory, plans to bow out at the Olympics.

He is due to face 38th-ranked Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic on Tuesday but whether or not he makes it on court is still in doubt.

Now ranked at 115 in the world, Murray has undergone surgery to remove a cyst on his spine.

Already playing with a metal hip, the former world number one damaged ankle ligaments against Machac in Miami in April in another brutal indication of the physical setbacks endured by the sport’s marquee names.

“It’s complicated, and it’s made more complicated because I want to play at Wimbledon one more time,” said Murray before the draw was made.

“I would say it’s probably more likely that I’m not able to play singles right now.”

He is, however, set to play doubles alongside brother Jamie.

In the women’s event, world number one Iga Swiatek, fresh from a fourth French Open title and fifth Grand Slam title, arrives on a 19-match win streak.

The 23-year-old Pole’s best run at Wimbledon was a quarter-final spot in 2023.

Swiatek faces 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the first round.

Sabalenka ‘not 100%’

US Open champion and world number two Coco Gauff, made her breakthrough at Wimbledon as a 15-year-old qualifier in 2019 when she made the last 16.

She also pushed through to the fourth round in 2021 but has a point to prove after a first round exit to American compatriot Kenin in 2023.

Gauff starts against compatriot Caroline Dolehide, ranked 52.

Third-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion and a semi-finalist at Wimbledon in 2021 and 2023, said she is still not “100% certain” of playing.

The Belarusian is due to face 106th-ranked Emina Bektas of the United States on Monday but a shoulder injury which forced her retirement at the Berlin grass-court tournament last week has not healed.

When asked if she will withdraw from the tournament, she said: “There’s always a chance”.

Marketa Vondrousova became the first unseeded player to win the women’s title 12 months ago but history is not on her side if she is optimistic of a repeat.



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Serena Williams, in 2016, was the last woman to successfully defend the title.

Pistons decline $19M option for Evan Fournier

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Evan Fournier #31 of the Detroit Pistons reacts after he is called for a foul during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on February 26, 2024 in New York City. Elsa/Getty Images/AFP

DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons have declined a $19 million option for Evan Fournier, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Saturday.

The person, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been announced, said the move gives the Pistons $50 million in salary cap space.

Detroit acquired Fournier from New York just before the NBA trade deadline last season as part of a deal that sent Bojan Bogdanovic to the Knicks.

Fournier, a 31-year-old shooting guard from France, averaged 7.2 points in 29 games for the Pistons last season. He has averaged 13.6 points over his career with Detroit, New York, Boston, Orlando and Denver, which drafted him No. 20 overall in 2012.

READ: NBA: Mavericks trade Tim Hardaway Jr. to Pistons for Quentin Grimes

Detroit also decided to extend a qualifying offer to Simone Fontecchio, making him a restricted free agent. If Fontecchio receives an offer sheet next week or later this offseason, the Pistons can match it and retain the 28-year-old from Italy.

Detroit added Fontecchio from Utah in February in a three-team trade and the Jazz acquired the Pistons’ second-round selection as part of the deal and used it to take Duke’s Kyle Filipowski in the draft No. 32 overall.

Fontecchio averaged 15.4 points and 4.4 rebounds, making 42.6% of 3-pointers, in 16 games with the Pistons last season. The 6-foot-8 small forward has averaged 8.6 points over two NBA seasons.

READ: NBA: Pistons president doesn’t give timeline on coaching search, rebuild

Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon, hired recently to replace the fired Troy Weaver, acquired former Michigan star Tim Hardaway Jr. from the Dallas Mavericks along with three second-round draft picks for Quentin Grimes earlier this week.

Detroit, which has been without a coach since firing Monty Williams, drafted Ron Holland of the G League Ignite with the fifth pick overall.

The Pistons have had the NBA’s worst record in each of the last two years and haven’t won a playoff game since 2008, when the three-time league champions appeared in the Eastern Conference finals for the sixth straight year.



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Risacher focusing on ‘good stuff,’ not pressure as top pick

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Atlanta Hawks’ Zaccharie Risacher, left, and General Manager Landry Fields, right, hold up Risacher’s jersey after an NBA basketball news conference, Friday, June 28, 2024, in Atlanta. Risacher was selected as the first overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA basketball draft. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

ATLANTA — Zaccharie Risacher says he’s not worried about the expectations that accompany being the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft — even if that also includes the daunting task of following fellow French star Victor Wembanyama.

“I feel like there is no pressure,” Risacher said Friday in his introductory news conference in Atlanta. “I just focus on the good stuff, you know, on the right stuff, which is playing here. I’m just excited to be with the Hawks right now, and I want to compete and win games. So that’s all.”

Wembanyama was last year’s No. 1 overall pick by San Antonio and was a unanimous selection for NBA rookie of the year.

“If I had to give him one advice to him, it would be to just be yourself, don’t change for anything, don’t let the pressure change you, don’t let fame, money whatever,” Wembanyama said Thursday in Paris. “But I know Zacch, he’s got it.”

READ: Zaccharie Risacher second straight from France picked No. 1 in NBA draft

Risacher said he hasn’t received pointers from Wembanyama. When asked if he learned anything from watching Wembanyama’s rookie season, Risacher said his best lessons came from following Wembanyama’s exploits as a professional in France. Risacher followed that path by playing for the same French club, JL Bourg, in 2023-24.

“That was great,” Risacher said. “You know, for myself, for a younger dude like me to see just him growing so fast and, like, I guess, dominated the France championship. That’s what I wanted to do when I came to Bourg.”

The 6-foot-9 Risacher (pronounced Ree-zah-shay) became only the second overall No. 1 pick in Atlanta history, following David Thompson, who in 1975 chose to play for the ABA’s Denver Nuggets.

The pressure that goes with the No. 1 pick doesn’t just fall on Risacher, who at 19 will be expected to play a significant role immediately. General manager Landry Fields also will be scrutinized after he helped to carve out minutes for the rookie by trading AJ Griffin to Houston on Thursday. The Hawks ended up acquiring rights to guard/forward Nikola Djurisic of Serbia as part of that deal.

Risacher, who impressed the Hawks with his catch-and-shoot skills and ability to defend multiple positions, could compete with De’Andre Hunter for minutes at small forward. The rookie joins guard Trae Young and forward Jalen Johnson as the foundation for a team that hasn’t won a playoff series since advancing to the 2021 NBA Eastern Conference finals.

READ: Zaccharie Risacher chosen by Hawks with top pick in NBA draft

“I think it’s hard to project out in terms of playing minutes and all that stuff,” Fields said after making Risacher the top pick on Wednesday night. “But of course we want him to be the absolute best player he can be. How we’re defining a franchise player, I’ll leave that to you. But there’s nobody that wants to see him succeed more than us, and we’re going to absolutely set him up to do that.”

Fields followed up on that vow with the trade of Griffin, a 2022 first-round pick.

“We’re always going to look for ways to improve the team,” Fields said Friday.

Risacher’s family, including his father, six-time French all-star Stephane Risacher, attended Friday’s news conference. Stephane Risacher won a silver medal for France in the 2000 Summer Olympics and closely monitored his son’s growth as a player.

Stephane Risacher said he was smart enough to retire from backyard competitions when his son was 15.



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“That was totally unfair,” the elder Risacher said with a smile. “I knew that was it. I retired. I’m still undefeated.”

Wimbledon star Swiatek’s a ‘Swiftie’ and she can’t shake it off

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Poland’s Iga Swiatek celebrates her victory over Italy’s Jasmine Paolini after their women’s singles final match on Court Philippe-Chatrier on day fourteen of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros Complex in Paris on June 8, 2024. (Photo by Emmanuel Dunand / AFP)

World number one tennis player Iga Swiatek admitted Saturday she was so starstruck by Taylor Swift that a concert by the pop music queen has been giving her sleepless nights.

Swiatek was amongst the thousands of fans packed inside Liverpool’s Anfield football ground last weekend for the singer’s latest stop on her ground-breaking Eras Tour.

“It was amazing. I actually was thinking about going here for the second time,” said Swiatek.

READ: Iga Swiatek reinforces top spot in WTA rankings

“My team was like, ‘Okay…’ Basically after this concert, like three days after I was so excited I couldn’t sleep and everything.

“We decided it’s better to focus on the tournament. But it was a great experience.”

Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, will attempt to win Wimbledon for the first time beginning next week.

The top seed has never made it past the quarter-finals at the All England Club.



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Geo Chiu to play for Japan B2 League team Ehime

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FILE–Geo Chiu.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Geo Chiu will continue his professional basketball career overseas.

After suiting up for the Taiwan Mustangs, who played against Gilas Pilipinas last week, Chiu is taking his act to the Japan B.League after signing a contract with the Ehime Orange Vikings.

Ehime, a B2 Division squad, announced the development on Sunday via a post on Instagram.

READ: Dave Ildefonso, Geo Chiu always ready to answer Gilas call-up

Chiu suited up for the Mustangs in May in the 2024 Asian Tournament, where the stocky big man posted six points and seven rebounds in an 83-78 win over the Zamboanga Valientes.

Before deciding to turn pro, the 6-foot-10 Chiu played for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP.

In what turned out to be his final year with the Blue Eagles in Season 86, Chiu averaged 1.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.

Chiu will try to help the Orange Vikings improve from an abysmal 23-37 card in the B2 last season.



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Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT in Riga, Latvia

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Gilas Pilipinas begins its Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) campaign. –SBP PHOTO

Gilas Pilipinas takes its final shot to make it to the Paris Olympics slated for next month as it competes in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga.

There will be four OQTs played from July 2 to 8 across the nations of Latvia, where Gilas Pilipinas is competing, Puerto Rico, Greece and Spain.

Gilas is bracketed with Georgia and host Latvia in Group A while Brazil, Cameroon, and Montenegro make up Group B.

READ: Paris 2024 or LA 2028, Tim Cone wants Olympic stint for Gilas

The Philippines qualified for the Olympic qualifiers despite just racking up a sole win in the Fiba World Cup the country hosted last year. The outright Olympic berth from Asia went to Japan as the highest-ranked team from the continent.

Gilas Pilipinas group stage schedule at Fiba OQT (Philippine time)

Gilas Pilipinas first clashes with host Latvia, ranked sixth in the world missing its NBA star Kristaps Porzingis, and then Georgia, which has NBA players  Sandro Mamukelashvili and Goga Bitadze.

Another schedule will be based on the results of the group phase.

Gilas Pilipinas group stage schedule at Fiba OQT (Philippine time)

Gilas Pilipinas group stage schedule at Fiba OQT (Philippine time).

July 4, Thursday

  • 12am – Latvia vs Philippines
  • 8:30pm – Philippines vs Georgia

Full Fiba OQT Riga, Latvia group stage schedule

Full Fiba OQT Riga, Latvia group stage schedule

July 2, Tuesday

  • 8:30pm – Brazil vs Montenegro

July 3, Wednesday

  • 12am – Georgia vs Latvia
  • 8:30pm – Montenegro vs Cameroon

July 4, Thursday

  • 12am – Latvia vs Philippines
  • 8:30pm – Philippines vs Georgia

July 5, Friday

  • 12am – Cameroon vs Brazil

July 6, Saturday

July 8, Monday

Gilas Pilipinas Final roster for the Fiba OQT

Gilas Pilipinas is down to 11 men when it competes in the Olympic qualifiers with coach Tim Cone’s trusty longtime point guard Scottie Thompson and young big man AJ Edu out due to injuries.

  • Mason Amos
  • Chris Newsome
  • Calvin Oftana
  • CJ Perez
  • Dwight Ramos
  • Justin Brownlee
  • Carl Tamayo
  • Kai Sotto
  • June Mar Fajardo
  • Japeth Aguilar
  • Kevin Quiambao

Fiba OQT format

The format of the OQTs makes every game a must-win for Gilas Pilipinas with only the champion in each qualifier advancing to the Paris Olympics men’s basketball competition from July 27 to August 10.



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There are six teams in each OQT. They will face each other in a single-round robin format with the top two of per group advancing to the knockout Final Phase.

In the semifinals, the first place for each group battles the second place from the other group with a berth in the Finals at stake.

The winners of each OQT will join the eight teams who have qualified for the Paris Olympics, namely host France, United States, Canada, Australia, South Sudan, Japan Serbia, and Germany.