Gilas U21 3×3 teams begin Nations League bid with World Cup berth on the line 

The road to the 2026 FIBA 3×3 Under-23 World Cup begins this week for the Philippines.

Both the Gilas Pilipinas men’s and women’s under-21 squads will kick off their campaigns in the FIBA 3×3 Nations League on Monday, carrying the opportunity to qualify directly for this year’s Under-23 World Cup through one of the sport’s most demanding qualification tournaments.

The week-long competition, scheduled from July 13 to 19 at Hextar World Empire City in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, features six tournament stops where every result contributes to the overall standings.

Unlike a traditional tournament, consistency across all six stops will determine which nation emerges on top of the Asia-2 conference.

Representing the Philippines in the men’s division are Cabs Cabonilas of FEU, Jedric Daa of FEU, Earl Medina of Adamson, Koji Buenaflor of UST, and Jhuniel Dela Rama of San Beda.

The women’s squad, meanwhile, welcomes back one of its familiar faces as Kristan Yumul returns to national team duty for the first time in two years.

The Cal State San Marcos standout headlines a lineup that also includes Elaine Patio of FEU, Alyssa Rodriguez of Ateneo, Marga Villanueva of National University, and Nadine Muñoz of Adamson.

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Both Philippine teams have been drawn into a competitive Asia-2 conference alongside New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Belarus, setting up a challenging week of back-to-back contests.

The Gilas Girls begin their campaign against Japan and Belarus, while the Gilas Boys open against New Zealand before facing host Malaysia in Monday’s first stop.

Every game will carry added significance because only the overall conference champion after all six stops will earn an automatic berth in the 2026 FIBA 3×3 Under-23 World Cup, scheduled from September 15 to 19 in Wuhan, China.

Teams that fall short this week will still have another chance to qualify through the second pathway when the Under-23 qualifying event takes place next month.

For the young Filipinos, however, the objective is clear—capitalize on the Nations League and avoid leaving their World Cup hopes to a second opportunity.

With a blend of established collegiate standouts and returning national team talent, both Gilas squads now look to put together a week-long run that could send the Philippines back to the biggest stage in international under-23 3×3 basketball.

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