THE men’s national team pulled off a remarkable campaign in the 2026 FIBA 3×3 Nations League Asia 2 by securing a berth in the FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup after a dominant run in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
Competing against fellow Under-21 teams from Japan, New Zealand, Belarus, Singapore and Malaysia, the Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 squad reached the finals in five of the six stops, winning three en route to the first-place finish.
Gilas started their campaign with back-to-back wins, but they suffered a tight loss to Belarus in the Stop 1 Finals.
After missing out on a podium finish for Stop 2, Gilas bounced back big time by beating Japan to win Stop 3 and the young Filipinos made sure there was no doubt about who the best team was as they defeated New Zealand and Japan to win Stops 4 and 5 via game-winning two-point baskets.
The Philippines finished with 520 points in the tournament, 50 points clear of second-place Japan, to earn a spot in the World Cup, marking another significant milestone for Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas’s rapidly growing 3×3 program.
SBP Executive Director Erika Dy emphasized that the accomplishment reflects the federation’s continued investment in the 3×3 discipline and the willingness of stakeholders across Philippine basketball to work together in developing national teams.
‘Earlier this year, our Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 Women ended an eight-year drought to make it back to the FIBA 3×3 World Cup,’ Dy said. ‘Now Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 Men will also end their own eight-year drought to make it back to the FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup.’
‘I would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the schools, coaches, and team officials who supported Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 by allowing their players to represent the country,’ Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 Program Director Ryan Gregorio said.
Gregorio thanked Far Eastern University Athletic Director Mark Molina and coach Sean Chambers, who rescheduled their team’s US training to allow Cabs Cabonilas and Jedric Daa to compete in this tournament.
He also thanked San Miguel Corp. Sports Head Alfrancis Chua and coach Pido Jarencio for loaning University of Santo Tomas big man Koji Buenaflor, Adamson University head coach Nash Racela for allowing Earl Medina to join the national team and to team manager Jude Roque and coach Yuri Escueta for permitting Jhun Dela Rama to represent Gilas even while he is in residency.
Program partner Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. and NLEX also lauded the team’s achievement, highlighting the value of supporting the country’s rising basketball talents on the international stage.
‘We at MPTC and NLEX send our congratulations to the Gilas 3×3 Men after their successful campaign in Malaysia,’ NLEX Governor Ronald Dulatre said.