(Eagle News) — The Philippine Arena will be the site of the 2023 FIBA World Cup after the three-nation consortium of the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia was chosen to host the prestigious international basketball competition.
The International Basketball Federation or FIBA on Saturday, December 9, awarded the hosting rights for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 to Philippines/Japan/Indonesia.
“This marks the first time in the competition’s history that it is to be staged in more than one country,” said a news release from FIBA, the world governing body for basketball.
FIBA is an independent association formed by 213 National Basketball Federations throughout the world and is recognized as the sole competent authority in basketball by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The Philippines-Japan-Indonesia group and the Argentina-Uruguay group were the finalists to host the event due to take place in just under six years’ time.
The 2023 is now set to break attendance records for FIBA World Cup matches as the venue for the most awaited international basketball competition is at the 55,000-seater Philippine Arena, the largest mixed use indoor arena in the world. The Philippine Arena is the centerpiece structure of Ciudad de Victoria in Bocaue, Bulacan.
The decision was made by FIBA’s Central Board after the bidders gave final presentations to support their candidatures to host the 19th edition of basketball’s biggest competition.
After the presentations, the “Central Board voted unanimously in favor of the candidature put forward by Philippines/Japan/Indonesia,” FIBA said.
Manuel V. Pangilinan, Chairman Emeritus of the Philippines Basketball Association (PBA), headed the Philippines/Japan/Indonesia candidature.
“We are extremely happy that FIBA has decided to award the hosting right for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 to Philippines/Japan/Indonesia,” Pangilinan said.
“The World Cup is an event that fans of basketball in these three countries are very proud of and hosting it will allow to spread the basketball fever across the three countries and the region,” he added.
FIBA President Horacio Muratore congratulated the Philippines and its partner countries Japan and Indonesia for winning the hosting rights for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
“Congratulations to Philippines/Japan/Indonesia as they will host a first-of-a-kind FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2023, when it is staged across multiple countries,” Muratore said.
“This was a very difficult decision as both candidatures were of exceptional quality. We want to congratulate both bidders for their outstanding work,” he said.
Muratore said that they were “very pleased to see national federations team up and put together bids of the highest quality to host our World Cup.”
“We look forward to witnessing a FIBA Basketball World Cup Final played in a venue packed with more than 50,000 basketball crazy fans in the Philippines, a country where basketball is (like) a religion,” the FIBA president
said.
The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 will see the Group Phase take place in Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, with the Final Phase to follow in the Philippine capital city of Manila.
There will be two rounds of eliminations, with the Philippines hosting 16 teams, while Indonesia and Japan will host eight teams each. Manila will host the quarterfinals up to the finals.
The bidding process for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 saw two candidatures of very high quality, with both vying to host FIBA’s flagship competition.
“Faced with such fortunate circumstances and acknowledging similar trends in the world of sport, the Central Board decided that Argentina/Uruguay will have the privileged opportunity to adapt their candidature for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 and present it to the Central Board,” a FIBA release said.
“FIBA will communicate to Argentina/Uruguay the requirements for the hosting of its leading event at the beginning of 2018. Subject to meeting these, and following visits by a new Evaluation Commission and the submission of the required guarantees, the Central Board will vote to decide the host(s) of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 at its next meeting in June 2018,” FIBA said.
(Eagle News Service)