JOHOR BAHRU, Malaysia — After dominating the four-nation pocket tournament in Cebu City last week, expectations are high as Nokia U-16 Team Pilipinas begins its title quest in the FIBA Asia U-16 Men’s Championship this Thursday at the Bandaraya Stadium in this Western Malaysian province.

Skippered by Ateneo de Manila hotshot Keifer Ravena, the Filipinos will be facing a dangerous Japanese squad in the final game of the seven-game opening-day salvo.

Game time is at 7 p.m. followed by a brief opening ceremony where FIBA-Asia secretary-general Dato Yeoh Choo Hock will welcome all 16 teams in this tourney that offers two tickets to the Fiba U-17 World Championship in Hamburg, Germany next year.

The Philippines is bunched in Group B along with Kazakhstan, Bahrain and Japan – a squad oozing with talent and potential with sharpshooter Ryo Tawatari marked as the main man.

Tawatari, a 16-year old gunner who was part of the Mythical Team in the invitational tourney bankrolled by Nokia in the Queen City of the South, is expected to give the smaller, but aggressive, Filipinos a run for their money, especially with 6-foot-5 Yoto Aretami, 6-foot-7 Kosute Hasimoto and 6-foot-4 Taiki Uehara patrolling the paint.

They also have a new point guard, but Japanese officials refused to release his name until the Team Managers’ Meeting set later in the day.

But RP mentor Eric Altamirano is undaunted.

“We can’t take the Japanese lightly, I know they have yet to play their best in the Cebu tournament,” said Altamirano, referring to the squad which they thrashed in the mini-tournament, 71-59.