Source : JVP, GMA News
Smart Gilas Pilipinas will have United Arab Emirates (UAE) for its opening day opponent in the 26th FIBA-Asia Championship For Men next month in Wuhan, China.Gilas' encounter with their Middle Eastern foes at the Wuhan Sports Centre is one of eight matches in store on opening day of the 10-day meet on September 15.
The biennial tournament serves as the Asian qualifier to the 2012 London Olympics.
Gilas whipped UAE in the preliminary round of the William Jones Cup basketball tournament at the New Taipei City, 95-60, although Serbian coach Rajko Toroman believes the Arabs will add two star players to the team in the FIBA-Asia meet.
"I think UAE has two more good players not playing in the Jones Cup, but this is basically the team we're playing against in Wuhan," Toroman said.
The Nationals are bracketed in Group D with UAE, Bahrain and powerhouse China.
On September 16,Gilas takes on the Chinese, before it ends its Group D campaign on the 17th against Bahrain.
The top three teams in the 16-team, four-bracket meet, will then advance into the second round.
Other opening day matches include Syria versus Jordan, bronze medalist in the last FIBA-Asia meet in Tianjin, China; Japan against Indonesia; two-time defending champion Iran opposite Chinese-Taipei; Malaysia against Korea; China versus Bahrain while Qatartakes on Uzbekistan, and Lebanon clashes with India.
Only the champion team will get the sole Asian berth to the London Games, although the silver and bronze medalists are qualified to the FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament for a wildcard berth in the Olympics.
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