Gilas Pilipinas shoots for Olympic berth at FIBA OQT

The Philippines is seizing another opportunity to secure a spot in the Olympic men’s basketball tournament. Gilas Pilipinas, the national team, is aiming to end the country’s 52-year Olympic drought by competing in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga, Latvia from July 2 to 7.

During the draw held at the FIBA headquarters in Mies, Switzerland, on November 27, the Philippines was placed in Group A alongside host Latvia and Georgia. In Group B, Brazil, Cameroon, and Montenegro will battle it out for the coveted Olympic ticket.

Aside from Riga, other cities hosting OQT qualifiers include Valencia, Spain; Piraeus, Greece; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Only the top team from each group will secure a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Gilas Pilipinas had a chance to directly qualify for the 2024 Olympiad during the FIBA World Cup in Manila last August. However, Japan emerged as the highest-ranked Asian team, leaving the Philippines behind.

Direct qualification berths have already been claimed by FIBA World Cup champion Germany, Serbia, the defending Olympic champion USA, Canada, South Sudan, and Australia. France has also secured a spot as the host nation.

The remaining four spots will be determined during the OQT, where a total of 24 teams will compete across four legs. Nineteen teams earned their place based on their performance in the FIBA World Cup, while five teams qualified through the FIBA OQT Pre-Qualifying Tournaments held last August.

The Philippines has participated in the FIBA OQT for the third time in a row. In 2016, they hosted the tournament in Manila, and in 2021, they were a last-minute replacement in Belgrade, Serbia. However, despite their efforts, Gilas Pilipinas, under the guidance of Tab Baldwin, the current coach of Ateneo Blue Eagles, has yet to secure a victory in the qualifiers.

During the 2016 edition held in Manila, France, led by Tony Parker, emerged victorious with a perfect 4-0 record. They defeated Canada, New Zealand, Turkey, and Senegal, earning themselves a spot in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in Brazil.

In the 2021 tournament, Italy secured their place in the Tokyo Olympics by triumphing over host Serbia, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and the Philippines.