Being in the spotlight of international basketball

STARTING August 25 this year, the Philippines, along with Japan and Indonesia, will take center stage as hosts of the International Basketball Federation/FIBA Basketball World Cup (FBWC) – the biggest and most prestigious basketball event participated by 32 countries from all around the globe including powerhouse teams such as the United States and Spain. It is worth noting also that, for the first time since its inception in 1950, the FBWC will be hosted jointly by more than one country.

The FBWC 2023 will run until September 10, 2023 and will feature over 90 games of which 52 will be held in the biggest venues of the Philippines – the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena, the Smart Araneta Coliseum, and Philippine Arena. More importantly, the Final Phase of the tourney will also be held in the country which means that Filipinos will get to see the best-of-the-best basketball teams duke it out on our court – hopefully our Gilas Pilipinas will be among these teams.

Ramon Suzara, Chief Implementor of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the FBWC 2023, is expecting over 3,000 participants not only from the teams but also from the FIBA organization, representatives of other host countries, media, sponsors, and embassies among others. This makes our hosting one of the biggest international events ever held in the Philippines. While the Philippines has previously hosted the FIBA World Cup, which was then called the World Championship back in 1978, obviously much has changed.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), who fought for the rights to host FIBA’s flagship event in 2017, stated that preparations for the FBWC 2023 were underway immediately after the bid was awarded. Over the months leading to 2023, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, SBP and the LOC worked closely with the FIBA leadership, as well as the representatives of Japan and Indonesia, not only for the logistical requirements of this massive event, but also in the promotion of the FBWC 2023. This led to various marketing strategies such as the unveiling of the FBWC official mascot aptly dubbed “JIP” (Japan, Indonesia, and Philippines); promotional events and ceremonies all across the country; and the tapping of renowned personalities such as NBA stars Carmelo Anthony, Pau Gasol, and Luis Scola as Global Ambassadors and Catriona Gray, LA Tenorio, Jeff Chan, Gary David, and Larry Fonacier as Local Ambassadors.

With an event of this magnitude, SBP is projecting the direct economic impact for hosting the FBWC 2023 at around P8 billion. When Spain hosted the World Cup back in 2014, the estimated direct economic impact was said to be equivalent to P7.6 billion. There is also a huge potential from a marketing perspective especially to our local companies due to the presence of the world’s best players, who are themselves, million- or even billion-peso brands or personalities, their presence could also further ignite our tourism sector as a simple social media post from these star athletes showcasing what our country has to offer would have an enormous reach.

Cognizant not only of the tremendous opportunity afforded to the country, but to our affinity to basketball, the national government was quick to express its support for the hosting. For instance, in March, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Administrative Order No. 5 which created an inter-agency task force and directed all government agencies and instrumentalities to extend their support to the SBP in preparing and hosting the FBWC 2023.

We just concluded the hosting of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Draw which was graced by 2023 Naismith Hall-of-Famer inductee and FIBA Players Commission Chairman Dirk Nowitzi. Results of the draw placed the Philippines, currently ranked 40th in the FIBA World Ranking, under Group A alongside familiar opponents Angola (ranked 41st), Dominican Republic (ranked 23rd), and Italy (ranked 10th). It is our hope that with the home court advantage and with the support of the entire country behind them, our national team would be able to put up a good showing in this historic event.

The FBWC 2023 is undoubtedly one of the biggest events to be held in the country in the last decade and its success and benefits will surely be talked about in the years to come. We must take full advantage of this opportunity to showcase the Philippines, both as a basketball-loving nation and an ideal tourist destination. This is also our chance to demonstrate our capability to host international events of this scale, which could attract more foreign organizations to hold their future events here. Simply put, FBWC 2023’s success is a definite win for all.

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Sen. Sonny Angara has been in public service for 18 years—9 years as Representative of the Lone District of Aurora, and 9 as Senator. He has authored, co-authored, and sponsored more than 330 laws.  He is currently serving his second term in the Senate. 

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Email: sensonnyangara@yahoo.com| Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @sonnyangara/PN