The Philippines fell short of starting the 2023 FIBA U16 Asian Championships with a victory.

The Gilas Pilipinas Boys suffered an 84-67 defeat at the hands of China on Monday, September 18, at the Al-Rayyan Indoor Hall in Doha, Qatar.

Kiefer Alas scored 20 points and Cletz Amos added 13 points to pace the Filipinos in their first match in the tournament.

Back-to-back three-point baskets by Wenwei He and Wenhao Fu ignited the 13-point scoring run in the fourth quarter that allowed China to sieze victory, 84-65.

Gilas will seek to make a comeback on Tuesday, September 19, when the squad face Kazakhstan.