Gilas Pilipinas will once again attempt to make history in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup to be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Led by Coach Tim Cone, the team is aiming to capture its first gold since 1985. Back then, legends like Allan Caidic and Samboy Lim led the NCC Team to victory.
According to Cone, their goal is clear: “Our goal is to get the gold medal. I don’t know if it will happen, but that is our target.” Since he returned as coach in 2023, Gilas has won the Asian Games after 60 years and defeated big teams like New Zealand and Latvia. However, Cone reminded that the cliché principle is still key: “One game at a time.”
The current situation is still a big challenge for Gilas. In 2022, the team fell to 9th place—the lowest performance since 2007. Now, they will return to face Taiwan and New Zealand in the Group Stage, as well as Iraq. Cone mentioned that the match will not be easy especially since Taiwan has become stronger due to the addition of two NCAA Division I players.
The loss of Kai Sotto due to an ACL injury suffered in January is an additional challenge. Kai was one of the pillars of Gilas with an average of 15.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. Instead, the team will look to AJ Edu, June Mar Fajardo, and Japeth Aguilar to fill his spot. According to Cone, “It’s harder for us without Kai, but I believe we can still be a strong team.”
Gilas' match against Taiwan will begin on Wednesday, August 6, at 2:00 a.m. This will be followed by a rematch against New Zealand on August 7, at 11:00 p.m., and against Iraq on August 9, at 4:00 p.m.
