FIBA World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers: What you need to know about the February window

Published on February 18, 2022

Gilas Pilipinas Men continue to gear up for the second window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, which will take place on Feb. 24 to 28.

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, Filipino fans will be able to watch Gilas games live at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The games will also be available on TV5, One Sports, and Smart GigaPlay.

Who are included in the Gilas pool?

Gilas veteran Jayson Castro headlines the 22-player pool listed on the FIBA website. The rest of the players are as follows:

J-Jay Alejandro
Gab Banal
Robert Bolick
Carl Bryan Cruz
Poy Erram
Matt Ganuelas-Rosser
Juan Gomez de Liano
Brian Heruela
Glenn Khobuntin
Angelo Kouame
Lebron Lopez
Kib Montalbo
William Navarro
Roger Pogoy
Dwight Ramos
Tzaddy Rangel
Thirdy Ravena
Ryan Reyes
Troy Rosario
Jaydee Tungcab
Kelly Williams

The final 12-player lineup will be released before each game starts.

Which teams will play in the Philippines in the upcoming window?

The Philippines will host the games of Group A, composed of South Korea, India, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

Gilas will face South Korea on Feb. 24 and 28, India on Feb. 25, and New Zealand on Feb. 27.

What happened in the first window of the qualifiers?

The first window of the qualifiers was originally scheduled last November. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, however, the games of Group A and Group B (Australia, Chinese Taipei, and Japan) were postponed. All the postponed games will be played during the February window.

How can fans buy tickets to the games?

Fans can watch the action live at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Tickets are available in all TicketNet outlets and online via www.ticketnet.com.ph. Lower box tickets are priced at Php 500, while upper box tickets cost Php 200 (exclusive of ticketing fees).

Only fully-vaccinated individuals aged 12 years old and above will be allowed. Fans are required to present their vaccination cards together with any valid ID/government-issued ID with picture, and use of a face mask inside the arena is mandatory. Food will only be allowed at the concourse of the coliseum, not at the audience area. Finally, a strict ‘No Kyusi pass, no entry’ policy (even for non-Quezon City Residents) will be implemented.

What’s the broadcast schedule of Gilas games?

Feb. 24 – Philippines vs. Korea (6:00 PM) – Live on One Sports, One Sports+ & Smart GigaPlay

Feb. 25 – Philippines vs. India (6:00 PM) – Live on TV5, One Sports+ & Smart GigaPlay

Feb. 27 – Philippines vs. New Zealand (7:00 PM) – Live on TV5, One Sports+ & Smart GigaPlay

Feb. 28 – Philippines vs. Korea (6:00 PM) – Live on One Sports, One Sports+ & Smart GigaPlay