Kacey Dela Rosa and Victoria Pasilang powered Gilas Pilipinas to a perfect group-stage sweep as the Philippines secured a direct berth in the quarterfinals of the women’s 3×3 basketball competition at the 20th Asian Games on Wednesday.

The Filipinas overcame Malaysia, 17-12, at Kinju Futo Station Square to finish on top of Group C with a 3-0 record, mirroring the feat of their male counterparts earlier in the day.

Dela Rosa led the Philippines with eight points, while Pasilang chipped in six as Gilas recovered from an early deficit and took control in the latter stages of the 10-minute contest.

Malaysia held a slim 6-5 advantage before the Filipinas answered with six consecutive points to seize an 11-6 lead. Dela Rosa accounted for four points during that pivotal run, putting the Philippines in command and allowing the team to maintain its cushion until the final buzzer.

The former UAAP MVP also contributed seven rebounds, matching Pasilang’s seven boards as the Philippines controlled the battle on the glass.

Gilas opened its Asian Games campaign on Tuesday with back-to-back victories, stunning Mongolia, 17-12, before cruising past Macau, 21-4.

With the group-stage sweep, the Philippines advances straight to the quarterfinals and will face the winner of the play-in game between the Group A runner-up and the Group D third-place finisher on Thursday.

The direct quarterfinal berth gives Gilas an opportunity to continue its strong start as it pursues a deep run in the women’s U-23 3×3 competition.

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SIBOL Naraka: Bladepoint closed its 20th Asian Games campaign on a high note, escaping Hong Kong, 2-1, to cap a challenging group-stage run on Wednesday at the Aichi Sky Expo in Japan.

The Philippines finished Pool B with a 1-2 record, placing third in a competitive group that also featured Vietnam, Chinese Taipei, and Hong Kong. The result left SIBOL outside the top two spots needed to advance to the semifinals.

Backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee, SIBOL opened the group stage with losses to Chinese Taipei and Vietnam, ending its hopes of reaching the semifinals.

Still, the Filipinos refused to go quietly, battling Hong Kong down to the wire as they looked to finish their Asian Games campaign on a winning note.

Team captain Joaquin Paclibar set the tone in Game 1 (solo), delivering a commanding performance and taking down Mingjie Wang twice to put SIBOL ahead, 1-0, in the best-of-three series.

The trio of Richard Espejo, Von Teñoso, and Kenneth Perez could not duplicate their skipper’s strong start in Game 2, falling to Fanny Fung Ching Wong, Yu Hin Wong, and Kevin Lam as Hong Kong forced a deciding game.

With support from Smart, Cignal, TV5, and Arena Social, SIBOL regrouped for the decider and held off Hong Kong to close its campaign with a victory.

Although the Filipinos fell short of the semifinals, Paclibar viewed their Asian Games stint as a valuable learning experience, particularly after showing that Filipino players can compete against some of the best in the international scene.

“For this group stage, we’re confident that we executed what we practiced. But the teams at this level are really good, and they adapt very quickly. That’s something we still need to improve on,” Paclibar said.

“Qualifying through Singapore and then making it to Japan gave us proof that there are players from the Philippines who can compete at a high level. The hours we’ve put in throughout our growth have all led to this moment, and we’re very grateful,” he added.

SIBOL will next turn its attention to Karl Gonzalvo’s Puyo Puyo Champions campaign on Thursday. Gonzalvo is set to face Japan at 9:20 a.m., Kazakhstan at 10 a.m., South Korea at 10:40 a.m., and Hong Kong at 11:20 a.m. in Pool A.

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Despite a few setbacks through the opening days of the 2026 Asian Games, Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino remains steadfast in his prediction that Team Pilipinas can win at least eight gold medals.

Tolentino refused to lower his expectations after the Philippines saw several medal hopes fall short, including Jean Claude Saclag, who settled for silver after losing in the gold medal match of the men’s traditional mixed martial arts -65kg division.

Aira Villegas also bowed out of the women’s -51kg division, while swimmer Kayla Sanchez still has two individual events remaining in her campaign — the 50m freestyle and 100m backstroke — with opportunities to add to the country’s medal haul.

But for Tolentino, there is still plenty of time for the Philippines to make good on his ambitious target.

“Walang atrasan ‘to. Sabi ko nga, hindi naman masama ang mangarap eh. Wala namang bayad ‘yan, libre ‘yun,” Tolentino said, stressing that the Games are still in their early stages.

Asked which athletes and teams he expects to lead the Philippines’ gold-medal campaign, Tolentino quickly named a deep group of contenders led by Alex Eala, Carlos Yulo, EJ Obiena, the national boxing team, Victoria Bosong, the 3×3 basketball squads, Mobile Legends, and jiu-jitsu.

“Lampas sampu pa ‘yun. So hindi pa tayo nawawalan ng pag-asa. Definitely, meron tayong golds,” he said.

Tolentino also pointed to the improved support given to Filipino athletes compared to previous Asian Games cycles.

With increased funding, training allowances, and the hiring of foreign coaches, he believes Team Pilipinas is better equipped to compete against nations that have invested heavily in their sports programs and naturalized athletes.

The POC chief is also aiming for the Philippines to surpass its previous four-gold medal haul, with several medal events still to come in the Games. For Tolentino, the message to the athletes remains straightforward as they enter the crucial stretch of competition.

“Laban lang. No replay… gamit din ng strategy. ’Pag lamang na, ’wag nang gigil.”

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