OVER the past decade, powerhouse Iran has been a rival of Gilas Pilipinas and has repeatedly stood as an obstacle for the Philippine national team.
Gilas will attempt to overcome the heavy challenge posed by Iran this Sunday evening, Aug. 30, 2026, at the Mall of Asia Arena in front of thousands of Filipino fans supporting the Nationals in the fourth window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
Gilas will rely on its final 12-man lineup consisting of guards Chris Newsome, Scottie Thompson, CJ Perez, Juan Gomez de Liaño, and Dwight Ramos; forwards Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, Troy Rosario, and Justine Baltazar; and big men Kai Sotto, AJ Edu, and June Mar Fajardo.
It can be recalled that during the era of 7-foot-2 NBA veteran Hamed Haddadi and Samad Nikkhah Bahrami, Iran dominated their matchups against Gilas.
In 2013, Iran defeated Gilas in the gold medal match of the Fiba Asia Championship at the Mall of Asia Arena. Gilas was coming off a historic victory against South Korea, which earned them a spot in the championship game.
Gilas got revenge in 2015 by taking down Iran in Changsha, China, during the Fiba Asia Championship, led by then-naturalized player Andray Blatche and local guards Jayson Castro and Terrence Romeo.
In 2018 and 2019, Gilas could not find their rhythm against Iran and lost both qualifying games.
Come the 2023 Asian Games, the Philippines got payback once again with an 84-83 victory behind the heroic performance of Justin Brownlee in the quarterfinals.
A major challenge for Gilas now is that Brownlee will not be able to play due to an injury.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic of Iran Basketball Federation will feature Mohammad Amini in its team for the fourth window of the qualifiers. The 21-year-old is one of Iran’s explosive players, averaging 14.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in the Asia Cup. / RSC