E-Gilas eyes China, Japan, Korea tilts

After the inaugural exhibition FIBA Esports Open event, the E-Gilas Pilipinas team looks to improve by competing in an invitational against China, Japan, and Korea in August.

E-Gilas team manager Richard Brojan said yesterday that he is in talks with counterparts from the three countries for a possible NBA2K tournament in an effort to test each other’s skill.

“Right now we’re on the planning stage, and we’re hoping to do it this August,” Brojan told the Manila Bulletin. “That’s the target date before the release of the new version of the NBA2K.”

Aside from that, Brojan said a few local meets has also been lined up.

China, Japan and Korea are considered the best “gamers” in the continent with the Philippines but were not included to the FIBA Esports Open where E-Gilas defeated Indonesia 5-0 in the regional series.

Dubbed as the Dream Team, the national team of Aljon “Shintarou”

Cruzin, Rial Polog Jr., Philippe “Izzo” Alcaraz, Rocky “Rak” Braña, Al “Alt” Timajo, Custer “Aguila” Galas and Clark Banzon dominated Indonesia with an average winning margin of 33.8 points. The core of the team won for the country the Asian Pacific NBA2K title as Polog bagged the title in 2016 and 2019, while Galas and Alcaraz captured the crown in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

FIBA, in collaboration with NBA2k, had its first esports meet as part of the federation’s initiatives to grow the FIBA family.

Plans of having another meet is in the works as the federation formed a special committee intended for esports, which includes Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio.