VIETNAM gets the first crack at the Gilas Pilipinas Youth of LA Tenorio in the opener of the South East Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) U16 Championship in San Fernando, Pampanga.

Butch Antonio, event director of the tournament serving as the qualifier to the FIBA U16 Asia Cup, said the Vietnamese and the Filipinos will play in the main game of the opening triple-header on May 24 at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center.

After Vietnam, the hosts will take on Thailand on the 25th, and then Singapore.

A one-day break is slated on May 27 before the Gilas Youth caps its campaign in the preliminaries with games against Indonesia and Malaysia.

The championship match is set on the 30th.

Antonio tagged Indonesia and Thailand as the ones likely to give the Philippines a tough challenge for the crown.

"Indonesia and Thailand have improved their basketball programs and this why they might challenge the Philippines for the title," said Antonio during his appearance at the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Only the champion team will advance to the FIBA U16 Asia Cup set in Mongolia later this year.

PHOTO: Reuben Terrado

Tenorio has been training and preparing the 16-man pool team for the tournament, assisted by deputies Gabe Norwood and Richard Del Rosario.

The final 12-man lineup will be named a week before the meet, according to Antonio of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.

Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph