Giilas Pilipinas Clashes vs Malaysia in 32nd SEA Games Cagefest Opener
4 min read
Gilas Pilipinas will open its campaign in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games men’s basketball tournament on May 9, as it faces off against Malaysia at the Morodok Techno National Stadium Elephant Hall 2 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The tournament will start at 1 p.m. (12-noon Philippine standard time), marking the opening game of the 5-on-5 basketball competition in the SEA Games.
After losing the basketball gold to Indonesia at the Hanoi games last year, the Philippines is determined to reclaim the championship it held for 33 years. With Brownlee at the helm, Gilas Pilipinas is ready to take on Malaysia and the other teams in its bracket.
Gilas Pilipinas is in Group A, along with Singapore and the host country Cambodia. Group B, on the other hand, is composed of defending champions Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos. Each group’s top two squads will advance to the May 15 crossover semifinals, with the winners disputing the gold the following day.
This year’s tournament employs a different format from the previous staging of the event, which used a traditional round-robin system. While the Philippines’ bracket seems less challenging than Group B, national coach Chot Reyes says that clearing the group phase means Gilas Pilipinas will face a strong opponent in the knockout stages.
Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign resumes on May 11 against the host country before capping off the group stage with a game against Singapore on the 13th. The team hopes to secure a spot in the crossover semifinals and
ultimately, the gold medal game.
The 5-on-5 basketball competition of the SEA Games will start four days after the Games’ formal opening on May 5.
In last year’s SEA Games in Hanoi, Gilas lost the basketball gold to Indonesia, marking only the second time the Philippines lost the cage gold since joining the biennial showcase in 1977. As such, the team is keen to reclaim the basketball gold it held on for 33 years.
With the entire nation rallying behind them, Gilas Pilipinas is ready to give it their all and showcase their skills on the court. The Philippines has a rich history in basketball, and the team is determined to add another SEA Games gold to their collection. Fans can expect an exciting and intense competition as the best teams from Southeast Asia compete for the coveted basketball championship.
The biennial Southeast Asian Games is a sporting extravaganza that brings together nations from the Southeast Asian region to compete in various disciplines. It is held every two years since its inception in 1959 and has since provided a launching pad for budding athletes to exhibit their talent on the international stage.
The Gilas Pilipinas team is slowly but surely taking shape as they prepare for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia, with redemption hopes after losing the championship to Indonesia last year.
Despite missing some regular players, coach Chot Reyes believes that the team has stability and continuity this year, which will help them achieve their goal of winning the gold medal.
The team has been preparing for weeks and is eagerly waiting for the final rosters of the opposition, as coaches from other countries can surprise them with relaxed eligibility rules in effect.
While they have already scouted the last games of their opponents, they still need to see who will be playing to avoid surprises. The team is doing their due diligence by watching every country and will get to know all of them once teams bare the lineups.