The Philippines celebrated a breakthrough on the global esports stage after eGilas Pilipinas captured its first-ever eFIBA World Finals Season 4 title, defeating Türkiye in the championship series over the weekend in Qatar.
A Historic Victory
The Philippine squad, composed of Miguel Hubillar, Chris Briones, Kenneth Gutierrez, Joshua Machado, and Prich Diez, delivered when it mattered most, claiming a 68-58 victory in the deciding game of the best-of-three finals.
The triumph marks the country's first world championship in the eFIBA World Finals, capping off a campaign highlighted by consistency and resilience against some of the world's top virtual basketball teams.
Bouncing Back Under Pressure
eGilas Pilipinas entered the finals after overcoming its toughest challenge of the tournament. The Filipinos suffered their lone defeat in the upper bracket finals, falling to France, 61-52.
Facing elimination, the team responded with composure, defeating France 63-59 before completing the comeback with a 67-64 win to secure a place in the championship round against Türkiye.
Dominant Throughout the Tournament
Before its loss to France, the Philippines put together an unbeaten run in the group stage. eGilas opened its campaign with a 64-53 victory over France before cruising past Algeria, 73-52, and Germany, 72-45, to top its group.
The momentum carried into the knockout stage, where the Filipinos defeated Lebanon, 67-58, in the upper bracket semifinals. They then avenged their lone loss to France before finishing the tournament on a high note with a championship-clinching victory over Türkiye, adding a historic world title to Philippine esports.
