Photo credit: PBA | pba.ph & FIBA | fiba.basketball
World No. 39 and Asia’s No. 7 Gilas Pilipinas Men will begin its quest for back to back Asian Games men’s basketball gold medals with an all PBA lineup, opening its title defense against the Bahrain National Team at 12:00 p.m. PHL time (1:00 p.m. JPN time) on September 11 at Aichi International Arena (IG Arena) in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. After the Bahrain game, the Philippines will face Kazakhstan on September 12 before taking on China on September 14.
Gilas Pilipinas is set to leave Manila for Suwon, South Korea, on Wednesday for two tuneup games against the Korean national team before heading to Nagoya, Japan, for the 2026 Asian Games. The final 12-man all-PBA lineup is expected to be announced by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas soon. Naturalized player Justin Brownlee remains a possibility, but his inclusion in the final lineup has yet to be confirmed and will depend on whether he is healthy and cleared to play.
Gilas Pilipinas All-PBA Team Pool:
The Gilas Pilipinas Men's team pool includes Robert Bolick, Sedrick Barefield, Adrian Nocum, Justin Arana, Justine Baltazar, RJ Abarrientos, Zavier Lucero, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Jerrick Ahanmisi, Don Trollano, Brandon Bates... | Practice Players: Geo Chiu, Yukien Andrada, and Sean Quitevis. (Head Coach: Tim Cone, Asst. Coaches: Richard Del Rosario, Josh Reyes, Jong Uichico, LA Tenorio)
Bahrain Roster:
Jakarr Jordan Sampson, Mustafa Rashed, Somto Patrick Onoduenyi, Ahmed Haji, Ahmed Bindayneh, Mohamed Juma, Mohamed Buallay, Ali Rashed,
Ahmed Alderazi, Mohamed Qambar, Ali Jaber Hasan Jasim Kadhem, and Mahmood Khalifa (Head Coach: Slobodan Subotić)
Matchup Preview:
Gilas Pilipinas will be led by PBA superstar Robert Bolick, who will be expected to take on a major offensive role. Bolick, who also emerged as one of the Philippines' key players during its gold medal run in the Southeast Asian Games, is averaging 17.67 points, 5.78 rebounds and 7.56 assists per game in the 2026 PBA Governors’ Cup. He will have plenty of firepower around him, with RJ Abarrientos, Sedrick Barefield, Justine Baltazar, Zavier Lucero, Adrian Nocum, Jerrick Ahanmisi and the rest of the PBA pool giving head coach Tim Cone multiple options on both ends of the floor.
Bahrain, however, enters the matchup with plenty of confidence after going unbeaten at 4-0 in the recent FIBA Asia Cup 2029 Pre-Qualifiers First Round. The Bahrainis are led by 6-foot-7 forward Jakarr Jordan Sampson, who averaged 17.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, while 5-foot-11 guard Mustafa Rashed has been their leading scorer at 18.0 points per game, along with 3.8 assists. Rashed has also been particularly dangerous from the perimeter, shooting 41.4 percent from three-point range in the four games. Sampson and Rashed were both coming off 20-point performances in Bahrain's 95-67 win over Kuwait that completed their unbeaten run.
Bahrain also has several other players capable of making an impact. Ahmed Haji, a 5-foot-9 guard, scored 21 points against Kuwait in Bahrain's final game of the window after knocking down five three pointers. He averaged 8.3 points per game during the four game run. Mohamed Buallay, a 6-foot-2 guard from Manama, provides additional size and playmaking in the backcourt and averaged 6.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in the latest tournament statistics, while shooting 83.3 percent from three point range.
With Gilas bringing a deeper and more experienced PBA lineup, the Philippines will look to control the tempo, make use of its size and athleticism, and prevent Bahrain's leading scorers from getting comfortable. Bahrain's recent form, however, makes this an important early test for Gilas as it begins its quest for back to back Asian Games gold medals.
TBA
SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel for game highlights, live streams, and more!
Online Store (Promo, Buy Now!)
GILAS JERSEY | NIKE | ATENEO MERCH | DECATHLON | JORDAN SHOES