A TEAM from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) left for Tokyo on Monday for a crucial mission—convince the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) to bring the World Cup of basketball back on Philippine soil in 2019.
The Fiba Central Board will decide during its meeting on Friday whether to award the 2019 World Cup to the Philippines or China.
“Our presentation is very commendable,” Barrios said. “Of course, China would be a very formidable foe because they have the infrastructure. It’s like David and Goliath. But, at the end of the day, it would be the Fiba Central Board votes that would count.”
China is anchoring its bid on its facilities and experience in hosting major international events. It has hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and would be doing the same for the 2022 Winter Games. China has hosted the Asian Games twice—1990 (Beijing) and 2010 (Guangzhou).
The Philippines, which hosted the World Cup—then called the world championship—in 1978, is banking on the Filipinos’ passion for basketball.
SBP President Manuel V. Pangilinan, who tapped two foreign firms to help the federation in its presentation, and boxing icon Manny Pacquiao will leave on Wednesday for Tokyo.
Pangilinan is confident the mission would be successful.
“We’re the best country that can give Fiba Basketball World Cup the global audience it deserves,” Pangilinan said on Twitter.
The SBP president added that besides the “heartware,” the country also has the facilities to host the Olympics of basketball with the 55,000-seater Philippine Arena, Mall of Asia Arena and the Smart Araneta Coliseum. A fourth venue is an international-standard arena that is being built in Cebu City.
If the Philippines is chosen as host, Gilas Pilipinas would be automatically seeded in the tournament.
The Fiba is adopting a new format beginning in 2019 that is similar to the selection of participants in the World Cup of soccer.
But the Philippines would not be contending against the powerhouse teams in Asia, but also against Australian and New Zealand, in 2019 after the Fiba decided to merge its Asia and Oceania regions.
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Hopefully, magGIVE-IN na ang CHINA….at ipa-ubaya na sa PILIPINAS ang FIBA 2019 WORLD CUP… kamakailan lang, ang BEIJING, CHINA ang nanalo sa WINTER OLYMPIC games bid, tinalo ang KAZAKSTAN…
Kung sila ang mananalo sa FIBA World Cup venue 2019 sa magaganap na FIBA CENTRAL BOARD in Tokyo Japan come Saturday, lalabas na masyado na silang SWAPANG, ganid at ang KAPAL ng MUKHA..