Dwight Ramos says Gilas Pilipinas will treat their lone tune-up game against Macau like a real battle as they ramp up preparations for the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
With the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup just around the corner, Gilas Pilipinas is entering the final phase of preparations.
As the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup kicking off its best-of-seven series, the national team will finally regroup for full practices this week before facing the Macau Black Bears in a send-off game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Though only a tune-up match, Gilas star Dwight Ramos emphasized that they’re approaching it with a serious mindset, knowing it’s their lone live game before heading to Jeddah.
“We're probably going to start ramping up practice and stuff,” Ramos said at the sidelines the SBP's unveiling of Gilas Pilipinas' new jersey with Adidas. “Up until now, we've kind of been on our own, staying in shape, getting in shape. Once we get to practice, we'll see where we're at.”
“We want to show what we got. It's a tune-up game, we have to show our best. It's kind of our only game before we start playing for real, so we're going to treat it like a real game—because it is,” he added.
[ALSO READ: Coach Tim Cone feels “disorganized” with incomplete Gilas lineup for FIBA Asia Cup]
Ramos also hopes fans will pack the Big Dome for the team’s send-off.
“We’re hoping there’s a lot of people there and [that we] put on a good show for the fans and get us excited and get us ready for the tournament,” he said.
[ALSO READ: Abando, Abarrientos, Rosario, and Lucero added to Gilas pool for FIBA Asia Cup]
Gilas is in Group D with New Zealand, Chinese Taipei, and Iraq. Only the top team earns an outright quarterfinal slot, while the second and third placers will have to survive a playoff to join the last eight.
The Philippines opens its campaign on August 6 against Chinese Taipei, followed by games against New Zealand on August 8 and Iraq on August 10.
@onesportsphl ‘WE WANT TO SHOW WHAT WE GOT’ 💙🇵🇭 Dwight Ramos shares how the Gilas Pilipinas Men are staying in shape for the upcoming 2025 FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah, and says they aim to deliver a strong performance in their tune-up game against the Macau Black Bears. | via Maureen Muarip/One Sports #GilasPilipinas #OSOnTheSpot #AsiaCup2025
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(With reports from Maureen Muarip/One Sports Digital)