Gilas Women to take on powerhouse China in FIBA Women's Asia Cup opener

The Philippine national women's basketball team will be facing an early daunting challenge when it opens its campaign in the 2021 FIBA Women's Asia Cup on Monday night (Manila time).

Gilas Pilipinas Women will be pitted against world no. 7 China at 9 p.m. Manila time in the group phase of Division A at the Prince Hamza Hall in Amman, Jordan.

The Philippines is drawn in Group B together with Australia, Chinese-Taipei, and China while Group A is composed of Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and India.

The top team in each group after the preliminary round will earn an outright semifinal berth while the second and third team will battle it out in a cross-over playoff to advance to the semifinals.

Without main gunner Jack Animam, the Filipina cagers will be bannered by veterans in Afril Bernardino and Janine Pontejos along with Ella Fajardo, Camille Clarin, Kristine Cayabyab, and Karl Ann Pingol, who are all making their debuts for the senior team.

The Philippines, ranked 51st in the world, faced—and fell to—China twice in 2019 before it copped two gold medals in that year's Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

During the 2019 FIBA Women's Asia Cup in India, the country lost a preliminary game to China by a wide margin, 104-57.

Both countries locked horns anew during the 2019 FIBA Women's Olympic Pre-Qualifying Asian Tournament in New Zealand where the Philippines was again defeated by China, 127-49, en route to a 0-3 card.

In a previous interview, Gilas head coach Patrick Aquino said he is not putting any kind of pressure on the shoulders of his wards as they are just coming off a long break brought by the pandemic.

Despite that layoff, the nationals were able to set up camp in Lipa, Batangas early this month.

"I have no expectations for this tournament, I am just happy that my players have a chance to compete on the biggest stage once again," Aquino said.

—JMB, GMA News