Gilas Pilipinas secured a significant victory in the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, defeating world no. 6 Latvia 89-80 early Thursday (Philippine time) in front of a home crowd. This win is historic, marking the first time a Philippine team has defeated a European team in an official FIBA competition since 1960.
Path to the Paris Olympics
This victory moves the Philippines closer to a spot in the Paris Olympics, but Gilas still has work to do throughout the tournament.
Group Stage Requirements
Gilas Pilipinas needs to secure a slot in the semifinals. In Group A with Latvia and Georgia, the Philippines must finish in the top two spots to advance. With one win already secured, Gilas must defeat Georgia to move forward. If they lose to Georgia, they must keep the loss within 18 points to still qualify for the next round. Georgia needs to win by at least 19 points to advance.
Latvia, having finished the group stage with a 1-1 record after defeating Georgia 83-55, is already assured a spot in the next round.
Semifinals Format
The top two teams from each group advance to the semifinals. The best team from Group A will face the second-best team from Group B (comprising Montenegro, Cameroon, and Brazil), and the second-best team from Group A will face the top team from Group B. Winners of these matches will advance to the finals.
Finals and Olympic Qualification
The finalists will compete for a single ticket to the Paris Olympics. In addition to the Latvia tournament, Olympic Qualifiers are also being held in Spain, Greece, and Puerto Rico, following the same format.
The Philippines last qualified for Olympic basketball in 1972 in Munich.
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