SBP urges stakeholders to unite for FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) on Monday urged stakeholders to unite for the hosting of the FIBA Basketball World Cup in August 2023.

“It took us 45 years to bring the FIBA Basketball World Cup back to the Philippines. This may never happen again, at least I’m sure in my lifetime. Let us make the most of this opportunity,” SBP president Al Panlilio said during the Senate Sports Committee hearing.

“We call on all stakeholders to unite for the flag. The world will be watching. Let it see what a united country can do to win respect and admiration,” he added.

The FIBA Basketball World Cup will be jointly hosted by the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia in 2023.

According to Panlilio, stakeholders from the Philippine Basketball Association, the National College Athletics Association, and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines have pledged to support the event.

“Yes, there always will be challenges in any great undertaking but united we can assemble our best team, in fact, we already have… United we can put our best foot forward, united we can be the best host we can be,” he said.

He also presented to the Senate preparations for the FIBA Basketball World Cup and the Gilas Pilipinas basketball team.

“This year, we’ve started to ramp up on our preparations where we’ve had a lot of joint business meetings. We strengthened our local organizing committee… and I think as time gets closer to the actual event, para pong wedding to, dadami ng dadami ang mga tao, and a lot of volunteers will actually be joining us,” he said.

[This year, we’ve started to ramp up on our preparations where we’ve had a lot of joint business meetings. We strengthened our local organizing committee… and I think as time gets closer to the actual event, it’s like a wedding, the number of people will increase, and a lot of volunteers will actually be joining us.]

—JMB, GMA News