Gilas Pilipinas Youth falls to Japan in FIBA U18 Asia Cup

The Gilas Pilipinas Youth men’s team suffered a 80-75 defeat against Japan in the 5th–8th classification round of the 2026 FIBA U18 Asia Cup in India. This marked the team's second consecutive loss following their quarterfinal elimination by China.

Chog Moral led the Philippines with 20 to 21 points, contributing significantly to a late fourth-quarter rally that narrowed the deficit to five points with 39 seconds remaining. Other contributors included Patrick Pasinos and Aidan Dayco-Green, who both scored 10 points. Japan’s performance was bolstered by Kenichiro Benedict, who scored 20 points, and Cayman Tsuneoka, who recorded 15 points and 19 rebounds.

The Philippines will now compete against Chinese Taipei for seventh place in the tournament standings.