By Darryl John Esguerra
MANILA – The Gilas Pilipinas Women 3×3 is back on the world stage.
The national squad, composed of Afril Bernardino, Mikka Cacho, Reynalyn Ferrer and Kacey Dela Rosa, secured a ticket to the FIBA 3×3 World Cup after dominating host Singapore, 21-10, in the final qualification match on Sunday, punching its ticket to Poland this June.
It marks the Philippines’ return to the World Cup for the first time since 2018.
The Philippines rose to the occasion when it mattered most, delivering a convincing win over Singapore after falling short of an outright qualification against Lithuania in the semifinal round.
Gilas Women finished pool play with a 1-1 record, dropping a tight 13-16 decision to Brazil before edging the same host team, 21-19, to stay in contention.
Their campaign hit a roadblock in the semifinals with a 16-21 loss to Lithuania, putting them in a do-or-die situation for the last World Cup slot.
The breakthrough comes just a week after the Gilas Women bagged a silver medal in the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup, also held in Singapore, highlighting a strong run for the program on the continental stage.
The FIBA 3×3 World Cup is set June 1 to 8 in Warsaw,. (PNA)
