Gilas women on track for LA Summer Games slot

Posted by ReyFort Media

THE Gilas Pilipinas women’s 3×3 team is on track for a maiden Olympic berth in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games.

Thanks in part to a historic silver medal finish in the FIBA Asia Cup and clinching a berth in the FIBA World Cup, the country is now ranked second in the half-court game in Asia behind Australia and in strong contention of making the trip to L.A.

“The big dream that we have is to make the 2028 Olympics. And the campaign for that started this year kasi simula na ng qualification process. Kumbaga lahat ng napapanalunan natin at sinasalihan na FIBA tournaments contribute to the Olympic ranking points, which is what will qualify us to the Olympics,” stressed Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas Executive Director Erika Dy in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.

“The top two teams in Asia, which have the most points accumulated in the next two years, will automatically qualify to LA. ‘Yun ang hinahabol natin na hindi na tayo dadaan sa Olympic qualifier.”

Afril Bernardino, Kacey Dela Rosa, Mikka Cacho, Cheska Apag, and Reynalyn Ferrer were with Dy in the session at the Philippine Sports Commission media room, along with coach Anton Altamirano and SBP 3×3 program director Ryan Gregorio.

The SBP executive said a lot of work has to be done in order for the Philippines to maintain its current FIBA ranking.

“Kumbaga, kung bukas ang Olympics, pasok na tayo,” said Dy in the program backed by San Miguel Corporation, PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee, Milo, and the country’s 24/7 sports app ArenaPlus. “So we have to maintain that, but it’s not going to be an easy road, obviously.”

Altamirano said a lot is in the pipeline for the Gilas women’s team as some of its pool members will be leaving for Sanya, China, for the Asian Beach Games on Wednesday, followed by the country’s hosting of the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series stop on May 7-8 at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.

“Basically, we’re not really stopping in our preparations kasi ang dami talaga naming tournaments na sasalihan to prep us for the World Cup. Tuluy-tuloy ang calendar namin sa 3×3,” he said.

Dy mentioned the likes of Mongolia, China, and Japan as the other countries expected to crowd out the Philippines for the top two Olympic spots reserved for Asia.

The most senior in the team, Bernardino said the Gilas team is up to the task.

“Hindi mo masabi, bilog ang bola. Possible naman na makuha namin ‘yung slot na ‘yun,” said the three-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalists and three-time UAAP MVP out of National University. (Malaya)