Gilas Pilipinas Women brace for tough battles when they fly to Rwanda for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournaments from 19 to 25 August.

Gilas coach Patrick Aquino told DAILY TRIBUNE that they are ready to face the best teams in the world in this prestigious tournament that stakes slots in the World Cup qualifiers.

The squad left for the Rwandan capital of Kigali on Thursday night via Ethiopian Airlines.

As part of their preparation, Gilas girls held a training camp in Baguio City in which they competed against high school boys.

“It’s been great, especially our Baguio training camp. There was team bonding and we prepared well,” said Aquino, who steered the team to a fourth-place finish with a 2-3 record in the William Jones Cup in Taipei last July.

“We learned a lot and we were able to spot our mistakes so we are trying to improve on that.”

Set to see action for Gilas are veterans Jack Animam and Afril Bernardino as well as rising stars such as Naomi Panganiban, Gabbi Ramos, and University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 86 Rookie of the Year Kacey Dela Rosa.

They will face No. 8 Brazil, No. 16 Hungary, and No. 25 Senegal in Group C.

But Animam, the heart and soul of the squad, said their stint in the Jones Cup allowed them to develop their chemistry that prepares them for the tough battles ahead.

“It was really important because it’s also the league that we’re officially playing together. The youth girls coming up, Naomi, Gabby, and those other people who are new to the team,” Animam, a two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, said.

“Coach saw who would be fit to the team so it was a big help for us.”