THE next edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, where the Philippines will be one of the hosts, is happening from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10, 2023, the world governing body for the sport announced on Monday.
Happening every four years, the approved dates for the World Cup, the FIBA Central Board said, were arrived at after consultation with the host nations and on the recommendation of its Competitions Commission.
The 2013 FIBA World Cup will mark the first time that the tournament will be staged by more than one country, with the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia sharing hosting duties.
The three countries won in 2017 the rights to host the World Cup, beating Argentina and Uruguay which jointly submitted a bid.
Under the approved dates, the Group Phase would take place in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines, with the Final Phase of the tournament happening here.
Thirty-two national teams from different parts of the world are set to compete in the high-profile tournament.
In an interview with BusinessWorld following the country’s winning of the rights to host, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Alfredo S. Panlilio said they are very excited for the Philippines hosting and showcasing what it can do.
“We are a basketball-loving country so it is huge from a basketball perspective. Beyond basketball, foremost is showcasing the Philippines to the world that we are capable of hosting such events,” the SBP president said.
He went on to say that they will try everything they can to make the hosting a success, considering it was four decades ago since the country last hosted the event.
“It is a once-in-a-lifetime event to host at this stage. It took a while for us to get this. FIBA has shown confidence in us to host and it’s not for nothing. So everybody must come on board and make this a success,” Mr. Panlilio said.
Qualification for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 will take place from November 2021 to February 2023, with 80 national teams competing for a spot in the World Cup. The first window of qualification will be played from Nov. 22–30, 2021.
Spain is the defending champion after topping the competition last year, beating Argentina, 95-75, in the championship game.
Along with the announcement of the competition dates, FIBA also launched the official Web site for the World Cup (http://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/) where fans can get updates on various developments. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
