Philippines in serious consideration to host 2019 FIBA World Cup

The Philippines is in serious consideration to host the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2019, according to a top official of the country's basketball federation.

 

"I don't want to say we are the front runner, but we are being seriously considered," Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas Deputy Executive Director Butch Antonio told online media reporters in a press conference on Friday at Country Spice restaurant in Quezon City.

 

The country is one of five short-listed candidates along with China, Turkey, Qatar, and Germany, which is bidding to secure co-hosting rights with France. The selected host country is guaranteed a slot among the 32 participating teams in the competition.

 

Antonio said that the top contender appears to be China, while Qatar seems to be targeting the rights for the 2023 FIBA World Cup instead.

 

According to him, the Philippines ranks below the other candidates in terms of infrastructure, but the completion of the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan boosts the country's chances.

 

The main driver for the Philippines' bid, however, is its reputation as a basketball-crazy country and its passionate fans of the sport, according to Antonio.

 

"FIBA wants this event to become as big, if not bigger than the FIFA World Cup," said the SBP executive, who is part of the country's six-man delegation to the bid workshop in Geneva, Switzerland last December.

 

With the huge base of basketball aficionados in the country, Antonio said that the Philippines can guarantee maximum attendance in all the venues.

 

He added that it was a fact already recognized by the FIBA after witnessing the overwhelming support of Filipino fans to Gilas Pilipinas in the World Cup held in Spain last September.

 

The Philippines won the the Most Valuable Fans (MVF) Best Country Award in the tournament, earning a brief video clip and an announcement in the half-time of the championship match between United States and Serbia.

 

The country first hosted the tournament then called the FIBA World Championship in 1978, earning the automatic right to compete in the tournament without going through the qualifiers. The national team finished its campaign winless, losing all of its eight games. — JST, GMA News