MANILA (FIBA Asia Championship) - Philippines national team project director Rajko Toroman is optimistic about the team’s chances of at least reaching the Quarter-Finals of the FIBA Asia Championship, which tips off in less than a month in Tianjin, China.

Toroman, who guided Iran to the Asian title two years ago, a result that qualified them for the Olympics, is heavily involved with the Philippines national side though Yeng Guiao was recently installed as the coach.

The Philippines will take on Korea, Japan and Sri Lanka in Group A.

“Both teams are strong,” said Toroman. “But I think the Philippines will qualify for the Quarter-Finals.

“How far the team will go depends on the match-up in the Quarter-Finals.”

The top three sides in each of the four Preliminary Round groups will progress to the Eighth-Finals Round.

In that phase of the competition, the sides advancing from Groups A and B will go into Group E while the top three sides from Groups C and D will go into Group F.

Each team will play the three new teams in its own group.

If, as expected, the Philippines get through the Preliminary Round, they will face each of the three teams that emerge from Group B (Chinese Taipei, Kuwait, Iran and Uzbekistan).

The top four sides of Groups E and F will make it to the Quarter-Finals.

“In Group B, we also can’t discount Uzbekistan, which has several tall players (including 7-1 Sergey Karaulov, 7-0 Dmitry Sviridov and 6-7 Grigori Shukhovtsov),” Toroman said.

“Uzbekistan might be able to pull off an upset against any of the top teams in Group A.”

FIBA