China has hardware, but PHL has 'heartware' for FIBA World Cup hosting bid says SBP's Pangilinan

Despite stiff competition from China, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) President Manny Pangilinan is confident of the Philippines' chances to clinch the hosting rights for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

In a round table media briefing on Wednesday morning, Pangilinan, along with consultants Ian Rumsby and Sean Nicholls, discussed the strength of the country's bid ahead of the final pitch on August 7 in Tokyo, Japan.

"We feel that we have a strong story to tell, that is the story of the Philippine bid. We have a compelling argument," said Nicholls, president of Octagon Asia Pacific. "We don't believe in any way that the Philippines is the underdog."

China, the host of the 2008 Summer Olympics and a slew of other major international tournaments, obviously has the advantage in terms of infrastructure and expertise to deliver a successful sporting event.

The SBP boss said that the Philippines has to satisfy FIBA's basic and minimum requirements in terms of hardware and logistics, but he is positive that the country's passion for the sport will be crucial to impress the central committee.

"China has done it in a scale not done in the Philippines," Pangilinan said. "Beyond that, it is a media event and I don't think China has the 'heartware' that we'll show whereas in the Philippines, basketball is number one."

Rumsby, a Chief Strategy Officer of public relations firm Weber Shandwick, also said that the Philippines' experience in handling the Pope Francis' visit and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference this year manifests the country's ability to host large scale events like the World Cup.

"The Philippines demonstrated brilliantly its ability to mobilize and manage such large volumes of people," he said.

In addition, he said that PHL's reputation as the "social media capital" of the world will do wonders for the hosting bid.

"The accessibility of a World Cup held in the Philippines is something that's really very important to everybody," Rumsby said. "We've got a very important, significant, and powerful means of telling the basketball story globally."

FIBA has made it known that it aims to transcend the achievement of the World Cup in Spain last year, and both consultants believe the Philippines can offer what the basketball governing body is looking for.

"A World Cup hosted in the Philippines will create the noise, the energy, the buzz, the attention that will flow out and create ripples around the world," Nicholls said. "It will a unique experience - something that will touch the hearts and minds of everybody that will have the opportunity to be here." - RAF, GMA News