Gilas Pilipinas will get another crack at a spot in the Tokyo Olympics.

The Philippines will compete in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) that will be staged in Belgrade, Serbia from June 29 to July 4 following the withdrawal of New Zealand.

Basketball New Zealand decided to pull out from the tournament due to costs associated with the coronavirus protocols and international travels.

The Philippines replaced New Zealand by virtue of being the next highest ranking team from the Asia-Oceania region.

Higher-ranked Asia-Oceania teams China and South Korea are already slated to play in the OQT, while Australia, Iran, and host Japan have secured their Olympic berths.

The OQT is split into 4 venues: Serbia, Canada, Croatia, and Lithuania.

Six countries will vie for an Olympic spot in each of the 4 venues and a total of 4 teams will qualify for Tokyo.

Considering the OQT format, Gilas Pilipinas will have an uphill climb as it gets bunched up with Serbia and Dominican Republic.

Puerto Rico, Italy, and Senegal are in the opposite group.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, with the winners facing off in the finals for the coveted Olympic seat. – Rappler.com