Gilas Boys bolster roster for U18 Asia Cup

Gilas Pilipinas Boys will enter the 2026 FIBA Under-18 Asian Championship with several new faces when the tournament gets underway from August 13 to 23 in Ahmedabad, India.

Among the newcomers are 6-foot-7 Filipino-American Elias Gish of Far Eastern University, 6-foot-5 Filipino-Canadian Aidan Dayco-Green, 6-foot-7 Ateneo big man Jacob Lacson, 5-foot-11 Filipino-Australian Luke Atacador, and 6-foot-2 University of Perpetual Help guard Sizco Roquid.

The five players replace Ziv Espinas, Kyle Sardon, Hans Patagoc, Louis Razon, and SEABA qualifiers MVP Joaquin Tovera from the squad that competed in the regional tournament.

Prince Carino, Ethan Aguas, JB Cagurungan, Andrew Chio, Chog Moral, Pat Pasinos, and Bruce Tubongbanua are the returning members of the SEABA team.

The Philippines has been drawn into Group A alongside powerhouse Australia, Chinese Taipei, and Thailand.

The group winner will advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the second- and third-placed teams will need to compete in the play-in round for a place in the last eight.

The top four teams in the tournament will earn berths in the 2027 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Pardubice, Czech Republic.

The Philippines finished 10th in the previous edition of the U18 Asian Championship, posting a 1-3 record under then-head coach Josh Reyes.