By Adrian Stewart Co
Gilas Pilipinas matches in the third window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifier slated next week have been cancelled as host country Qatar is set to enter a 60-day lockdown starting this Saturday.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) said they were informed by FIBA Asia regarding the cancellation of the window as the latter vowed “to carefully study all available possible alternatives to still have the games in the near future.”
In a separate statement early Friday, the Saudi Arabian Basketball Federation (SABF) said that the Qatar Basketball Federation has decided to cancel the hosting for the FIBA Asia qualifiers set from February 18 to 22.
“The Asian Executive Office issued a decision to cancel Window Three of the Asian Basketball Qualifiers to be held in the State of Qatar, which includes Saudi Arabia-Qatar-Syria-Iran, based on the Qatari Federation’s apology for hosting the latest developments of the Coronavirus, and tomorrow the decision to determine the date and time of its establishment will be announced,” read the SABF’s tweet.
Gilas Pilipinas, which is sitting atop Group A with a clean 3-0 record, is supposed to face South Korea on the 18th and 22nd and Southeast Asian foes Indonesia on the 19th.
This was the second time that the bracket involving the Gilas Pilipinas was cancelled after the Philippines earlier cancelled hosting of the matches at the AUF Sports Arena & Cultural Center in Pampanga.
Aside from Group A, Doha would also serve as host to Group B matches of China, Japan, Chinese Taipei, and Malaysia; and Group E games of Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
In a related development, the SBP announced earlier on Friday that it has chosen Frederick Tungcab, Filipino-American guard Jordan Headings and center Tsaddy Rangel for the special Gilas draft in the 2020 PBA Rookie Draft next month.
“The SBP, as always, is thankful to the PBA for its cooperation as we build towards the Philippines’ hosting of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup with Japan and Indonesia,” said SBP President Al Panlilio.
Headings is a 6-foot-2 guard from the California Baptist University and a product of the Batang Gilas program, Rangel is a 6-foot-8 center from the National University, while 6-foot-3 Tungcab was a former guard of University of the Philippines and Adamson University./ASC, WDJ