GILAS NEEDS TO PLAY FULL STRENGTH VS NZ, AUSTRALIA — CHUA

MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas team manager Alfrancis Chua is convinced that playing with a complement of a full 12-man roster will give the Philippines a fighting chance against former Oceania basketball powerhouse squads New Zealand and Australia.

The Philippines hosts New Zealand on February 26, followed by Australia on March 1 in the second window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers. Both games will be played at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

“We all know that both teans are really strong,” Chua said in Filipino, in a statement posted recently at the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas website.

“New Zealand, if you saw their game against Australia (in window 1), it was a dogfight and the difference was just around three points. The level of their game is really high.” The concurrent PBA vice chairman and San Miguel Corp. sports director added that he wondered why the two foreign squads were included in FIBA Asia.

Nonetheless, Chua said it is what it is since New Zealand and Australia were integrated into the Asian region nearly a decade ago.

“I hope we have a full lineup, especially Kai [Sotto], that he’ll be healthy,” he said. “I think if we are complete, then maybe we can compete.” Of course, Pinoy fans are waiting in anticipation for the young Filipino big man’s return to Gilas since he has finally been reactivated by the Koshigaya Alphas in the Japan B.League for the 2026 season.

The shot-blocking Sotto is slowly getting back into the groove since recovering from a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) he suffered in January 2025 while playing in the Japan B.League.

Sotto is expected to join Gilas when the team reconvenes and prepares for window 2 late next week.

Other Filipino players serving as Asian imports in Japan and Korea led by Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, Kevin Quiambao and Carl Tamayo are also expected to arrive in the country this coming week.

The outspoken Chua hopes Filipino fans will come out and give their all-out support for Gilas in these two important home games, noting how the home court advantage contributed to the Philippines’ 93–89 upset of New Zealand in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers game in November 2024 at the jampacked SM MOA Arena.

“We need the help of the fans again so the players can have added motivation because again, we are playing against very tough opponents,” he added.

The Philippines is bunched in Group A with Australia, New Zealand, and Guam, and the Tim Cone-guided national team is eyeing to finish among the top three in the first round to stay in contention for a spot in the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar.

2026-02-07T06:44:41Z