Philippine Arena hosts FIBA 6th window

Gilas Pilipinas takes its act to the Philippine Arena for the sixth and final window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers from 24 to 27 February.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Sonny Barrios on Tuesday said they have already booked the cavernous venue as the site of Gilas' crucial battles with Jordan and Lebanon in the final window of the qualifiers.

Aside from gaining redemption against powerhouse Lebanese, the federation also aims to use the event as a dry run of its hosting of the World Cup set from 25 August to 10 September next year.

A total of 32 countries will collide in the world's biggest basketball event but the final stage will be held at the Philippine Arena – a 55,000-seater venue in Bocaue, Bulacan.

"We have already been scheduled to play the two games in the sixth window at the Philippine Arena," said Barrios, a day after Gilas arrived from the Middle East following a two-game sweep of Jordan and Saudi Arabia in the fifth window.

It will be the third window to be staged in the country after earlier hosting the first and second windows in February at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, and the fourth window last August at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Barrios said aside from the Philippine Arena, the World Cup will also hold its games in the preliminaries at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and Mall of Asia Arena as well as in Japan and Indonesia.

"Those three venues will be used for the World Cup," he said during the weekly session presented by San Miguel Corporation, Milo, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

"So as much as possible, we will hold the games there. Holding it there is like an OJT (on-the-job training) for the organizing committee."

Barrios added that the possible inclusion of Brownlee as naturalized player will definitely boost Gilas – on and off the court.

In fact, the naturalization process of the 34-year-old Barangay Ginebra San Miguel import is already rolling, giving the federation a good reason to hope for his Gilas inclusion.

"There's a hearing in the Congress today and Justin appeared there," Barrios, also the SBP spokesperson, said.

"It's going to be big if Justin will be available for the sixth window."

Barrios said Brownlee would be appearing before the Committee of Justice in Congress for the initial part of the naturalization process, which will also go through the Senate once it passed the Lower House

"It already started in Congress," he added. "Once approved, then it will be elevated to the Senate."

"There's a process. There's no shortcut."

The former PBA commissioner said the SBP is letting the naturalization process of Brownlee takes its course, though he is very optimistic Brownlee would eventually make it.

"That's the target," he said.

"I don't want to preempt our congressmen and senators. That's the last thing we would like to do."

"Let's allow them to do their jobs first. They know what's required. We are very fortunate that both houses, the Lower and the Upper House, the support for basketball is immense and unquantifiable."