UP to represent PH in 2026 Asian University Basketball League

FILE–UP guard Jacob Bayla during a game in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—University of the Philippines will compete in the 2026 Asian University Basketball League (AUBL) in August in Hangzhou, China.

Ahead of the UAAP Season 89, the Fighting Maroons will use the second edition of the tournament as part of their off-season preparations.

UP will be the sole Philippine representative, joining squads from Chinese Taipei, Mongolia, Hong Kong and Australia with one team each.

READ: UAAP Finals: Title defeat sees end to UP’s ‘Maroon 5’ era

China will field the most teams with three, while Japan and Korea will have two universities.

The Fighting Maroons will be competing against Japan’s Hakuoh University and Waseda University, Korea’s Korea University and Yonsei University and China’s Peking University, Shangai Jiao Tong University and Tsinghua University.

Also in the fold are Chinese Taipei’s National Chengchi University, the inaugural champion of the tournament, along with Mongolia’s National University of Mongolia, Hong Kong’s Chinese University of Hong Kong and Australia’s University of Sydney.

The AUBL welcomed the addition of the Filipino and Australian teams this year.

“Having experienced the energy of the inaugural 2025 season, we are delighted to see the competition return with such a strong and diverse lineup,” said Seetow Cheng Fave, Secretary General of the Asian University Sports Federation (AUSF) in a press release.

“AUBL serves as an important platform for both high-level competition and meaningful sports and cultural exchange.”

Last season in the UAAP, UP finished with a 10-4 record as the second seed before falling to the Green Archers in three games in the Finals.