Gilas Pilipinas heads to Doha for friendlies and qualifiers

Gilas Pilipinas will travel to Doha, Qatar on February 13 for a series of friendly matches and preparation ahead of their FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers against Chinese Taipei and New Zealand.

Coach Tim Cone views the trip as crucial preparation for integrating recently injured players like AJ Edu and Jamie Malonzo into the lineup while adjusting to life without Kai Sotto, who is out with a knee injury until possibly next year.

The Philippines has already secured qualification for the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia this August due to their perfect record in Group B and aims to secure top seeding by winning their remaining qualifiers.

Gilas will play against Qatar, Lebanon, and Egypt on February 15, 17, and 20 respectively before facing Chinese Taipei and New Zealand on February 23.

Coach Cone emphasized that the purpose of this trip is not just for the immediate qualifier window but also as preparation for the FIBA Asia Cup in August, given their already secured qualification status.