The Meralco Bolts will play in the 2025 Basketball Champions League Asia, gaining entry as the reigning PBA Philippine Cup champion.
The Meralco Bolts will once again represent the PBA in an international competition, this time in the 2025 Basketball Champions League Asia set for June.
In a report by the PBA on Monday, the Bolts get the nod by virtue of being the reigning Philippine Cup champion. Meralco won last year’s All-Filipino crown with a dramatic six-game series against San Miguel Beer.
With Meralco’s participation in the BCL Asia, the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup will have a slight schedule change.
The BCL Asia will run from June 9-15, while the Philippine Cup eliminations are slated to end also on June 15.
"So ia-adjust namin yung Philippine Cup schedule para dito. Kaya nagpapa-salamat ang PBA at ang PBA Board sa Meralco na magre-represent sa atin.” said Marcial.
"Nag-meeting na si Deputy Commissioner Eric Castro with the team managers na ia-adjust nga natin yung schedule dahil nga sa Basketball Champions League. Sumang-ayon naman lahat sila," he added.
Formerly known as the FIBA Asia Champions Cup, the tournament returned last year after the pandemic under the new banner of the Basketball Champions League Asia.
However, no PBA team saw action in last year’s tournament, which was won by Lebanon’s Al Riyadi.
PBA champions get direct qualification to the BCL Asia, alongside the champions of the CBA, B.LEAGUE, and KBL. The rest of the field are determined by qualification.