2026 ASIAN GAMES MEN'S BASKETBALL | WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

A couple of days from now, Gilas Pilipinas will fight against the best of Asia in their quest to successfully defend their 2022 Asian Games title.

Or, more accurately, fight against the best of Asia who aren't being rested for the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

Whatever.

But in these games, there is more than meets the eye. I'm talking about on-court and off-court rivalries. The desire for continued supremacy, revenge, and getting rid of the underdog tag will be in full effect in a tournament whose main goal is to promote sportsmanship among our Asian brothers.

Yes, every nation needs to aspire to that, but that doesn't mean we'll just let them senselessly destroy us on the court.

So, for Robert Bolick, RJ Abarrientos, Justine Baltazar, Justin Arana, Adrian Nocum, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Don Trollano, Jerrick Ahanmisi, Sedrick Barefield, Brandon Bates, and Zavier Lucero, this is the climb they need to endure.

2026 ASIAN GAMES |

MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

AICHI INTERNATIONAL ARENA, NAGOYA, JAPAN

SEPTEMBER 10 - SEPTEMBER 20, 2026

LEGENDS

Q/QF = QUALIFICATION MATCH FOR QUARTERFINALS

E/GS = GROUP STAGES

DNP = DID NOT PARTICIPATE

GROUP A

COUNTRY	2022 (2023)	2018	2014	CURRENT FIBA STATUS
JAPAN	8TH	7TH	B	GROUP F | 2027 FIBA WORLD CUP ASIAN QUALIFIERS
SOUTH KOREA	7TH	B	G	GROUP F | 2027 FIBA WORLD CUP ASIAN QUALIFIERS
SAUDI ARABIA	6TH	DNP	E/GS	GROUP F | 2027 FIBA WORLD CUP ASIAN QUALIFIERS
INDONESIA	E/GS	8TH	DNP	GROUP F | 2029 FIBA ASIA CUP PRE-QUALIFIERS

I think Japan and Korea are in a tough spot. While Gilas Pilipinas and possibly the other top teams are resting their players for the resumption of the FIBA Asian Qualifiers, these two might go in there with their best possible lineups.

The Asian Games will be an indicator of whether or not their pro leagues are better than the other. Both leagues follow the same principle when it comes to bringing in Asian players, but at the same time, they demand too much from their imports, both Asian and non-Asian.

Also, their history would mean that the last thing Japan wants is to get beaten by Korea, while Korea would most likely be looking for a win over their former occupier.

I bet Qatar will field the same lineup they had in FIBA since they are already in the World Cup anyway, having qualified automatically as the host nation.

As for Indonesia, one name that should ring a bell for us Filipinos is their naturalized player and former PBA import, Lester Prosper.

GROUP B

COUNTRY	2022 (2023)	2018	2014	CURRENT FIBA STATUS
IRAN	5TH	S	S	GROUP E | 2027 FIBA WORLD CUP ASIAN QUALIFIERS
JORDAN	SILVER	DNP	E/GS	GROUP E | 2027 FIBA WORLD CUP ASIAN QUALIFIERS
CHINESE TAIPEI	4TH	4TH	E/GS	QUALIFIED | 2029 FIBA ASIA CUP QUALIFIERS
QATAR	Q/QF	E/GS	6TH	GROUP F | 2027 FIBA WORLD CUP ASIAN QUALIFIERS

I don't know if Iran, Qatar, and Jordan would field their FIBA-bound players, but they'll probably hold most of them out for the November window.

One team that won't hold back, though, is Chinese Taipei.

Now that they've already been eliminated from the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers, they will probably make the Asian Games their consolation prize. I mean, it just so happened that they were placed in a tough group, but if they field their FIBA lineup and, at the same time, Japan, Korea, and China rest their main crews, then I can see Chinese Taipei approaching the Asian Games as if it's their consolation prize for being eliminated early from the World Cup qualifiers.

GROUP C

COUNTRY	2022 (2023)	2018	2014	CURRENT FIBA STATUS
CHINA	BRONZE	G	5TH	GROUP F | 2027 FIBA WORLD CUP ASIAN QUALIFIERS
PHILIPPINES	GOLD	5TH	7TH	GROUP E | 2027 FIBA WORLD CUP ASIAN QUALIFIERS
BAHRAIN	Q/QF	DNP	DNP	GROUP E | 2029 FIBA ASIA CUP PRE-QUALIFIERS
KAZAKHSTAN	Q/QF	E/GS	4TH	GROUP E | 2029 FIBA ASIA CUP PRE-QUALIFIERS

If you are a Gilas Pilipinas fan, or simply a fan of the Philippines in general, especially with the whole territorial dispute in the South China Sea, you'll know that we have a longstanding rivalry with China. With how the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the 2022 (2023) Asian Games turned out, China will look at us with a lot of disdain.

And now, with the possibility of Gilas going to the Games without an import, this is their chance to get back at us.

But then, we also need to check out the other teams in our group. Kazakhstan has been a thorn in our side ever since the days of the Centennial Dream Team. And while our only major connection with Bahrain was former DLSU Green Archer Bader Malabes, this team went to Hangzhou with their naturalized player, former Rain or Shine import Wayne Chism.

Without a naturalized player or an imposing figure in the paint, it feels like we are in a tough spot. That said, the one good thing working in our favor is that the team is loaded with star players. I don't know how this will translate to an actual game, but if they are that determined to win, then those superstar auras will likely come out.

So, I don't want to predict which team will win the gold medal, but I do think the teams that would take the outright quarterfinal spots from each group are Japan, Korea, Iran, Chinese Taipei, China, and Gilas, with Jordan or Kazakhstan taking the other two third-place spots.

Hopefully, the tune-up games against Korea were merely the Philippines running through the motions, keeping everything else hidden so we can unleash our full power in the games.

Good luck, Gilas Pilipinas!