GUIDE | How the FIBA Asia Championship tournament format works

On Thursday, the draw for the FIBA Asia Championship in August was set, with the Philippines choosing to be part of Group A.

The SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national team is bracketed in Group A in the preliminary round, joining Chinese Taipei, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.

Here are the full groupings:

Group A	Group B	Group C	Group D
Chinese Taipei	Hong Kong	China	Bahrain
Jordan	Japan	Iran	India
Saudi Arabia	Lebanon	South Korea	Kazakhstan
Philippines	Qatar	Southeast Asian Qualifier 2	Southeast Asian Qualifier 1

In the preliminary round, each team plays the other squads in its group once.

Second round:

The top three teams from Group A and the top three teams from Group B are grouped to form Group E.

The top three teams from Group C and the top three teams from Group D are grouped to form Group F.

In Group E, qualifiers from Group A play one match each against the qualifiers from Group B.

In Group F, qualifiers from Group C play one match each against the qualifiers from Group D.

Knockout Stages

The top four teams from Group E and the top four teams from Group F move into the knockout quarterfinals:

- Group E 1st-place vs Group F 4th-place
- Group E 3rd-place vs Group F 2nd-place
- Group E 2nd-place vs Group F 3rd-place
- Group E 4th-place vs Group F 1st-place

SOURCE

Successful Fiba Asia hosting ‘won’t be possible without PBA’—MVP

MANILA, Philippines—Business tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan expressed his gratitude towards PBA Commissioner Chito Salud following the league’s recent moves in boosting the national team’s preparations for the coming Fiba Asia Championship this August.

In a letter addressed to Salud, Pangilinan, also the head of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), acknowledged the participation of the PBA and said that “the successful hosting will not be possible” without the league’s help.

“It is indeed an honor for the Philippines to host the Fiba Asia Championship this August, hopefully providing the setting for our country to capture another regional basketball crown – 40 years after we did, in the Asian Basketball Confederation Championship in 1973.  It is time for this,” said Pangilinan.

Just recently, the PBA agreed to lend players to beef up Smart Gilas Pilipinas before postponing its third conference to a later date and extending the current Commissioner’s Cup to make way for the Nationals.

“Accordingly, our sincerest thanks go to the team owners - Ramon Ang of Petron, San Mig Coffee and Ginebra; Wilfred Uytengsu of Alaska; Mikee Romero of Globalport; Bert Lina of Air21; George Chua of Barako Bulls, and Terry Que and Raymond Yu of Rain or Shine,” Pangilinan added. “We also thank the PBA Board of Governors and the Commissioner for their support.”

“On our part, the SBP commits all available resources to attain the success of Fiba Asia Championship, and the victory of Smart Gilas Pilipinas.” ”It is heartening to say that the basketball community has answered not only the call of the sport but, more importantly, the call of the country.”

via Inquirer.net

Time to gel for Fiba Asia as important as getting best players, says Chot Reyes

MANILA, Philippines—While half of the national team’s priority is getting the best players for Fiba Asia—the other half hinges on the time those players spend together preparing.

That was Smart Gilas Pilipinas’ head coach Chot Reyes’ concern as he met with PBA commissioner Chito Salud to iron out the finer details for the Fiba Asia build-up.

“Having the best players is only 50 percent, the other is having the time to prepare them and gel them into a great team,” said Reyes.

Reyes, who is fresh off a successful conquest of the Super Kung Sheung Cup Invitationals with the cadets-backed roster, even pointed out the other teams are starting their preparation as soon as possible.

“Yung Lebanon, (they) went to Dubai and then pagbalik they’re going the second round of competition. From March 1, concentrate na sila sa national team,” said Reyes.

Smart Gilas’ practice schedule—and even the roster—though, largely depends on the shortened third conference, which the PBA has yet to finalize.

“The naming of the line-up is going to be dependent on the final schedule,” said Reyes.

“Lahat ng naglaro sa Jones Cup, sa Dubai at sa Hong Kong, they’ll be under consideration, and they’ll be a part of the pool na pagpipilian natin,” Reyes added.

But one thing is for sure, though—the players are going to have to block off their Mondays for the national team.

“For now, my working orders are once a week practice until the players become available from now to August 1,” said Reyes. “That’s what we’re going to work on.”

Fiba Asia, one of the biggest basketball events hosted by the country in the last 40 years, dangles three spots to the Fiba Worlds in Spain next year.

via Inquirer.net