The PBA is finally represented once again in the Basketball Champions League Asia (formerly FIBA Asia Champions Cup), with the Meralco Bolts seeing action in the 2025 edition in Dubai.
Reigning Philippine Cup champions Meralco Bolts are set to test their mettle against the region's top clubs in the 2025 Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia), scheduled for June 7-13 in Dubai.
The Bolts are drawn in Group B, alongside Japan B.LEAGUE kings Utsunomiya Brex and UAE League Basketball powerhouse Shabab Al Ahli.
Meralco Bolts 2025 BCL Asia Schedule (Group B)
vs. Shabab Al Ahli (UAE)
📅 Date: Saturday, June 7
📍 Venue: Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall
🏀 Tip-off: 10:00 p.m. (Ph time)
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vs. Utsunomiya Brex (Japan)
📅 Date: Sunday, June 8
📍 Venue: Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall
🏀 Tip-off Time: 10:00 p.m. (Ph time)
June 11 – Quarterfinals (TBD)
June 12 – Semifinals (TBD)
June 13 – Final / Third Place Game (TBD)
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2025 BCL Asia Tournament Format
Formerly the FIBA Asia Champions Cup, the BCL Asia ushers in a streamlined format that mirrors the club-centric model of FIBA’s continental championships.
Meralco gained an entry to the tournament after ruling the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup, outlasting the San Miguel Beermen in a dramatic six-game classic.
[ALSO READ: Meralco Bolts to see action in 2025 Basketball Champions League Asia]
This year’s edition gathers 12 elite teams, divided into three groups of four for the group phase.
The top-2 teams from each group, plus the two best third-placers, will advance to the quarterfinals beginning June 11. The tournament conclude with the semifinals and championship game on June 12 and 13, respectively.
The top-8 teams will move on to the crossover knockout quarterfinals, where they will be seeded into four pots based on their rankings in their group stage.
Pot D will consist of the top-2 ranked teams, while Pot E will include the third and fourth-ranked squads. Pot F will feature the fifth and sixth teams, and Pot G will contain the seventh and eighth-ranked teams.
From there, the bracket takes shape: teams from Pot D will face teams from Pot G, while Pot E squads will go head-to-head with those from Pot F as teams from the same group in the earlier round cannot play each other.
At stake isn’t just continental bragging rights, but the winning team will represent Asia at the FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2025 in Singapore.
Let's Bolt(s) In
Expected to banner the Bolts in their return to FIBA club play is reigning Philippine Cup Finals MVP Chris Newsome.
The 34-year-old veteran is logging 16 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 11 games so far in the 2025 Philippine Cup, where Meralco clinched a quarterfinal spot after finishing with a 6-5 win-loss record.
Alongside key Meralco veterans Cliff Hodge, Raymond Almazan, Chris Banchero, and Bong Quinto, Newsome will be joined by reinforcements Jordon Varnado, Glynn Watson Jr., and John Egbunu, who were tapped to strengthen the Bolts’ roster.
[ALSO READ: Meralco on the lookout for ‘higher level guys’ to reinforce Bolts in BCL Asia]
What Lies Ahead
If the Bolts advance beyond the group stage, the competition only gets tougher.
Three powerhouse teams from Lebanon, China, and Korea are also in this tournament, including some familiar squads.
Defending tournament champions and heavy favorites Al Riyadi headline Group C and are led by a core of national team veterans like Wael Arakji.
China’s Zhejiang Guangsha Lions, the new CBA champions, bring a heavy challenge not only to Al Riyadi but also to the rest of the field.
New KBL champions Changwon SG Lakers are also in the mix, although top Asian import Carl Tamayo is notably not on the roster list.
[ALSO READ: Carl Tamayo, Changwon LG Sakers take Game 7 vs Seoul to win KBL Finals]
Lights Out in Dubai?
The last time the Philippines reached the podium in this tournament — then known as the FIBA Asia Champions Cup — was 1996 when the then Tony Harris and Bobby Parks-led Hapee Toothpaste Cavity Fighters bested Japan’s Isuzu Lynx in the championship round.
Nearly three decades later, Meralco aims to rewrite that story and are ready to take the leap once and for all.