Gilas Pilipinas is already guaranteed a spot in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, but it is not taking its path to the quadrennial showpiece lightly.

The national team plans to use the Asian Qualifiers to build up momentum as it seeks to put on a show at home as one of the three World Cup hosts alongside Japan and Indonesia.

Finishing dead last in the previous World Cup after a winless stint, Gilas has nowhere to go but up in 2023.

Here are some fast facts about the road to the World Cup:

Key dates

Bunched in Group A with Korea, New Zealand, and India, the Philippines will play home-and-away games in the third window.

Gilas Pilipinas will head to New Zealand to play the Tall Blacks on Thursday, June 30, at 3:30 pm Manila time. 

But the Philippines will quickly head back home as the young crew led by Kiefer Ravena and Dwight Ramos will serve as host when they play India on Sunday, July 3, at 7 pm at the Mall of Asia Arena. 

The Philippines also hosted the Group A games in the first and second windows last February due to travel restrictions in various East and Southeast Asian countries amid the pandemic.

(READ: Gilas Pilipinas to field 11-man lineup for next FIBA World Cup qualifying window)

Tournament format

All continental qualifiers – Americas, Africa, Asia and Ocenia, and Europe – will have two rounds that consist of a total of six windows.

In the case of the Asian Qualifiers, 16 nations have been divided to four groups of four teams for the first round, where they will play each other twice in a home-and-away format.

The squad with the worst record will get the boot as the top three teams from each group will advance to the second round.

Afterwards, the 12 remaining teams will be split into two groups of six squads, carrying their records from the first round.

The continental qualifiers will run over a 15-month period from November 2021 to February 2023, half a year before the World Cup comes off the wraps in August 2023.

Who will qualify

Just like the 2019 edition in China, a total of 32 teams will see action in the World Cup in 2023.

Eight slots have been allotted for Asia and Oceania, with two of those reserved for host countries Philippines and Japan.

Although Indonesia will also serve as host, it needs to reach the quarterfinals of the Asian Qualifiers to qualify for its maiden World Cup appearance due to a lower federation rank.

Here are the number of allocated berths for the other continents:

• Americas – 7
• Africa – 5
• Europe – 12

– Rappler.com