Battling top-tier competition in the opening round of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers paid dividends for Gilas Pilipinas, as the national team channeled those early tests into a two-game sweep during the latest qualifying window.
Despite finishing the preliminary round with a 2-4 slate, the grueling encounters against Oceania powerhouse nations New Zealand and Australia sharpened the Philippines for its subsequent matchups against Middle Eastern powerhouses Jordan and Iran.
National team guard Dwight Ramos reflected on how those early clashes served as vital building blocks for the squad.
“It was a lot of learning experience out there. I mean, those are the top two teams in the pool,” Ramos said.
“We had tough opponents Australia and New Zealand but they made us better. We were able to come back from slow starts and we’re just very happy for the guys,” he added.
Prior to the August window, the Philippine squad endured a four-game skid in qualifying play, with all four losses coming at the hands of the Boomers and Tall Blacks. The Filipinos’ only first-round successes were recorded against Guam.
Australia asserted control in both fixtures, taking a 93-66 victory in Manila before following up with a 96-42 dominant performance on home turf.
The series against New Zealand proved much tighter, with the Tall Blacks escaping with a 96-93 win in their initial matchup before edging Gilas 106-104 in a double-overtime thriller.
Rather than discouraging the team, Ramos emphasized that testing themselves against elite international competition forged crucial mental toughness. That fortitude was on full display as the Philippines erased double-digit deficits to edge Jordan 82-81 in overtime before clinching a gritty 68-56 triumph over Iran.
“We all believe in each other so whoever’s out there on the court, looks like they’re playing with confidence. Make or miss, it doesn’t matter ’cause you know as teammates we’re here behind them and we’re always making up and picking each other up,” Ramos explained.
The consecutive wins provided momentum for the national program following a grueling start to the qualifying phase.
“It feels good ’cause it’s been a while since we did that. It feels good. You know, (we) start winning games again. We gotta tough windows and feels like we’re getting our groove,” Ramos added.