Day 1 of the FIBA Asia Challenge Cup will feature a four interesting games, starting off with an East Asian rivalry showdown between Japan and Korea and then closing the first day of competition with the much-anticipated debut of Gilas 5.0, the latest reincarnation of the Philippine men's basketball team, as they go against India at 12:15 p.m US EST.
Philippines vs. India at 12:15 a.m (Phil time):
After coming short of qualifying to their first ever Olympic appearance in decades, SBP, the country's basketball authority, unveiled the latest version of the Gilas Pilipinas squad.
With the arrival of the new FIBA World cup and Olympic qualification system, SBP decided to shift back to their cadet program, where the basketball amateur and college players in the county are pooled together to form a younger and dynamic squad.
The Philippines will no longer lean on the much experienced pro players like Terrence Romeo and Jason William, who have made tremendous job during their tour of duty with Gilas Pilipinas squad.
Instead, they will now parade a much younger generation of players, hoping these kids will reach their peak just in time for the big tourneys: FIBA Asia Championship and World Cup.
The FIBA Asia Challenge Cup will serve as the first real test for Gilas 5.0. On Friday, this Philippine squad will take on India, a team that has improved tremendously over the last three to four years.
It would be interesting how the Philippines' youth will fare against a much more experienced Indian team led by Amjyot Singh and Vishesh Bhriguvanshi.
As for the Philippines, the players who should be closely watched are wingmen Mark Belo, Kevin Ferrer and 6-foot-9 center Arnold Van Opstal.
Japan vs. Korea at 5:30 a.m US EST: Both teams will be represented by several pro players in this tournament, so expect this game to be played in a higher level. Kosouke Takeuchi will continue to be the main man for the Samurai, while Koreans hopes Jhunyun Lee catches fire in the match.
China vs. Jordan at 7:45 a.m US EST: China will field a mix of national team veterans and fresh faces. Zou Yuchen, who played with the main team at Rio Olympics, will be the focal point of offense for this Team B squad against a Jordan team that features Zaid Abbas, Malek Kaanan and head coach Sam Daghlas.
Iran vs. Qatar at 10:00 a.m US EST: Iran will be in full force as the host of this tournament, with Hamed Haddadi, Oshin Sahakian, and returning Arzalan Kazemi on the roster. Qatar, on the other hand, will counter with mainstays Saleem Abdulaah, Mohd Mohammed and Ali Saeed.
FIBA Asia Challenge Cup will be streamed online on Sports5.ph and Sports Stream, while live scores, stats and results can be followed on FIBA Asia Challenge Cup stats. Highlights and updates of Challenge Cup Day 1 can be found on FIBA Asia Youtube.