The top Asian team in the FIBA World Cup will directly qualify to the Paris Olympics.
It’s not just the FIBA World Cup campaign itself that Gilas Pilipinas is focusing on, as the national team is also hoping to secure a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Coach Chot Reyes admitted that during Saturday's draw, he was not only looking at Gilas and its upcoming opponents in the group phase. He said he was also keeping an eye on where the other Asian teams end up.
“I was also looking at what are the teams that the other Asian teams drew as well because that's going to determine who is going to be the best-placed Asian team,” Reyes told the media after the draw.
The FIBA World Cup will allocate seven outright Olympics spots to the tilt's best performers per continent. Two spots are reserved for the top two European teams, two more for the Americas, and one each for Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
China, Iran, Japan, Jordan, and Lebanon are the other teams from Asia competing in the FIBA World Cup, and they are certainly out to vie for that best Asian team slot.
Reyes, for their part, clarified that their eyes have always been set towards Paris.
“Remember, our objective here is to get the Olympics in 2024. That's the goal, that's the dream, so hopefully we can get a win or two in this World Cup to give us a chance to qualify,” said Reyes.
It’ll be a tough road for Gilas, but some of the best minds in basketball believe that there’s a window for them to do well and qualify for the Olympic games.