A slot in the Paris Olympic will be at stake should Gilas Pilipinas and China clash in the FIBA Basketball World Cup from 25 August to 10 September.
The Filipinos are in Group A with Italy, Dominican Republic and Angola while China is in Group B with South Sudan, Serbia and Puerto Rico.
But both groups will merge in the second round, setting the stage for the collision between the Philippines and China with the chance to become the top Asian nation and an Olympic ticket at stake.
China, however, will not be an easy foe.
National Basketball Association stalwart Kyle Anderson of the Minnesota Timberwolves had been granted Chinese citizenship, making him eligible to see action in the World Cup.
Anderson, who was born in New York and reportedly has a Chinese great grandfather, said this year he would consider switching allegiance to Beijing.
“With the promotion and support of all parties, Li Kai’er obtained Chinese nationality this morning,” the China Basketball Association said on its Weibo social media account, using Anderson’s Chinese name.
“We thank all parties for their support and help, Li’s family for their support, and the fans and media for their long-term attention to the Chinese men’s basketball team.”
The Chinese governing body for basketball also posted a photo of a beaming Anderson standing with its chairman, former NBA star Yao Ming.
It did not mention whether Anderson had renounced his American passport, typically a requirement in China, which does not recognize dual nationality.
Aside from Anderson, China will also be banking on NBA draftees Wang Zhelin and Zhou Qi under Sasha Dordevic, the mentor who guided Serbia to the gold medal match in the previous edition of the World Cup in 2019.
Gilas, on the other hand, is struggling with their preparation with its naturalized player in Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz yet to report for training with barely a month left before the World Cup.
In 2019, no Asian team advanced past the first round in the previous World Cup in 2019.
This year will be equally difficult as Jordan is in an unbelievably difficult group with the United States, New Zealand and Greece, and Japan will need all the help it can get against Germany, Finland, and Australia.
Iran is grouped with Spain, Brazil, and Cote d’Ivoire, and Lebanon will be heavy underdogs against Canada, Latvia and France.
with AFP
