Gilas boys plunge into FIBA U17 World Cup action vs Lithuania

MANILA, Philippines -- The Gilas Pilipinas boys take their turn to shine when they duke it out against powerhouse Lithuania in the opener of the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup at the Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul, Turkey. 

Led by ace guard Kieffer Louie Alas, the Nationals plunge into a baptism of fire against the World No. 7 Lithuanians to kick off Group A play of the world championship for the 16 best youth teams. 

Game time is at 5:30 p.m. (Manila time), with Gilas eyeing to land a massive upset ax to prime up for equally stronger squads in World No. 2 Spain and World No. 15 Puerto Rico. 

Lithuania, Puerto Rico and European champion Spain finished at the podium in the last three editions of the world youth championship with the latter winning silver behind World No. 1 USA in the 2022 tilt in Malaga.

That should be enough warning for the giant mountain Gilas would have to climb.

And the Filipinos are ready against all the odds. 

Mentored by Josh Reyes, Gilas clinched a semifinal finish in the FIBA U16 Asian Championship last year to mark a return in the World Cup for the first time since the era of triple towers Kai Sotto, AJ Edu and Carl Tamayo in 2019.

Alas, son of veteran head coach Louie and brother of NLEX star Kevin, will banner Gilas on the heels of his FIBA Asia All-Star Five citation in Doha, Qatar behind averages of 15.4 points and 8.6 rebounds. 

Backstopping him are Kurt Nathan Velasquez, Elijah Mark Williams, Cletz David Amos, Edryn Morales, Joaquin Gabriel Ludovice, Irus Chua, Bonn Ervin Daja, Paul Cyron Diao, Jaime Lorenzo Gomez-De Liaño, Samuel Alegre and Noah Matteo Banal. 

Other teams clashing in the youth World Cup are the mighty USA squad, which won all six editions, China, France and Guinea in Group B, host Turkey, Argentina, New Zealand and Italy in Group C as well as Australia, Canada, Egypt and Germany in Group D. 

No team will be eliminated in the pool phase as all 16 countries will barge in the knockout stage featuring a crossover format between top-ranked and bottom-placed teams from Groups A and B against C and D.