Gilas Pilipinas def Qatar, 74-71 [2nd Doha International Cup | Feb 15, 2025]

Gilas Pilipinas begins a whirlwind weekend by taking on the Qatar national team in a friendly matchup at the University of Qatar.

The highly anticipated game is scheduled for early Saturday morning at 1:30 a.m., marking the first of three exhibition contests the Filipinos will compete in during their training camp in Doha, all geared toward preparing for the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup.

The Gilas squad touched down in Qatar on Thursday night, ready to hit the court.

Unfortunately, the national team will be without promising young big man Kai Sotto, who is currently in recovery from ACL surgery. However, the return of Jamie Malonzo and AJ Edu provides a significant boost to the lineup.

While Sotto’s absence is undoubtedly felt, head coach Tim Cone emphasizes that the immediate focus is on seamlessly reintegrating Malonzo and Edu into the Gilas system.

Cone underscores that incorporating the 6-foot-10 Edu into the team dynamics is paramount, especially since this marks the first time he’ll be playing under Cone’s guidance since the veteran coach took the helm of the national team program late last year.

Edu made a brief visit to Manila during the second leg of the Asia Cup qualifiers, but Cone and the coaching staff opted to give him a rest after he sustained a knee injury while competing in the B. League prior to his arrival.

Following their clash with Qatar, Gilas will have less than 24 hours to regroup before returning to the court late Saturday night at 11:00 p.m. to face Lebanon.

The team will then square off against Egypt early Monday morning at 1:30 a.m. for its final friendly before making the journey back to Manila later that evening.

Like the Philippines, Lebanon has already secured its spot in the main tournament for the Asia Cup, while Qatar is still in the hunt for the remaining qualifications in Group E.

These friendly matches are facilitated by the Qatar Basketball Federation as part of their preparation for hosting the 2027 FIBA World Cup.

After returning to Manila, Gilas will depart for Chinese Taipei the following day, February 18, to kick off the third and final leg of the Asia Cup qualifiers.

The team will face Taiwan on February 20 before heading to Auckland, New Zealand for a rematch against the Tall Blacks on February 23.