President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday night said the Philippine national basketball team was no match against much taller players in the FIBA World Cup, saying we should bet on China instead.
During a speech in Malacañang in front of Chinese-Filipino businessmen, Duterte said Gilas Pilipinas will lose in their game against Italy.
“No, no match. We are no match against them. Let’s just bet on China. Don’t make it corny,” Duterte said in jest.
“We are nothing. We would lose here against the Italians. Those fools are so big,” he added.
But he quickly expressed confidence that the Philippine team could easily beat Angola.
“Our next game is Angola. Ah, we can bury them alive,” Duterte said.
Gilas’ first game against Italy will be held on Aug. 31. They will go up against Serbia on Sept. 2 and Angola on Sept. 4.
Duterte is expected to cheer for Gilas Pilipinas during his fifth visit to China, the host of the FIBA World Cup 2019.
“The vice president of China himself will accompany me in the basketball game. It’s a break in protocol. Why would I quarrel with them? Will the vice president of America escort me if I go there?” the president said.
Apart from watching basketball in his visit, Duterte will invoke before Chinese President Xi Jinping the 2016 arbitral ruling which favored Manila and dismissed China’s claim of historic rights over the disputed waters in the West Philippine Sea.
China, one of the claimants in the sea row, has refused to recognize the decision of the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration.
In his working visit, Duterte will also inaugurate the Fujian school built in honor to his late mother, Soledad.
The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, to be hosted by China, will be the 18th tournament of the FIBA Basketball World Cup for men’s national basketball teams.
The tournament was rescheduled from 2018 to 2019 and will become the first since 1967 that will not occur in the same year as the FIFA World Cup. The group stage will expand from 24 to 32 teams.
The tournament will also act as qualification for the 2020 Summer Olympics. The top two teams from each of the Americas and Europe, and the top team from each of Africa, Asia and Oceania, alongside hosts Japan will get slots to the Olympics.
Czech Republic will make its first appearance in the FIBA World Cup, while Poland makes its return to the FIBA Basketball World Cup for the first time since 1967.
Montenegro will make its first appearance as an independent nation after previously being part of Serbia and Montenegro until 2006.