Philippines hosts FIBA U16 Asia Cup SEABA Qualifiers

FORMER Gilas Pilipinas standout and now Gilas youth head coach LA Tenorio gets a baptism of fire at home as the Philippines hosts the 2025 FIBA U16 Asia Cup Southeast Asia Basketball Association (SEABA) Qualifiers from May 24 to 30.

Pampanga will house the tourney at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando as announced by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) after a meeting with provincial governor Dennis “Delta” Pineda.

It will serve as the much-awaited coaching debut for Mr. Tenorio, who’s concurrently serving as assistant coach to Tim Cone in the Gilas men and a veteran leader for Barangay Ginebra in the PBA.

Mr. Tenorio, 40, was appointed by the SBP to take over the Batang Gilas program last November in lieu of long-time mentor Josh Reyes, who steered the squad back to the FIBA U17 World Cup after six years.

Mr. Reyes authored the Mr. Kieffer and Mr. Alas-led Gilas youth to a sweep of the SEABA Qualifiers in 2023 in Indonesia before a semifinal finish in the 2024 Asian tourney for a World Cup return in Turkey since the golden batch of AJ Edu, Carl Tamayo and Kai Sotto In 2018.

Now, all eyes are on Mr. Tenorio with a new squad as Gilas youth looks to keep its supremacy against Southeast Asian rivals led by Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia to book a ticket to the FIBA Asia Cup in August in Mongolia.

Mr. Tenorio is known for his role in the lethal three-guard combo with Jimmy Alapag and Jayson Castro in Gilas’ heydays in the 2010s marked by the Jones Cup championship in 2012, where he was named MVP, and the silver medal finish in the 2013 FIBA Asia Cup.

The feat paved Gilas’ return to the World Cup after 35 years and has not missed the world conclave since then highlighted by a hosting in 2023.

Mr. Tenorio, the PBA’s Iron Man, is hoping to do the same for Gilas youth. — John Bryan Ulanday