SBP chair Angara calls for "government equity" as PH hosts 2023 FIBA WC

SBP chairman Sonny Angara looks forward to a "government equity" ahead of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

By Ivan Saldajeno

LOS BANOS--Senator Sonny Angara lauded the SBP for successfully bidding for the rights to host the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Angara, who acts as the chairman of the SBP board, even likened president emeritus Manny Pangilinan, the leader of the Philippines-Japan-Indonesia consortium bid that was announced as the co-hosts for the said tournament on Saturday night in Mies, Switzerland, to a streak shooter.

"He is the real MVP. There were other strong bidders. But he was able to clinch it. In basketball terms, he made [a] three-point shot after [another] three-point shot," Angara said in a statement on Sunday.

However, he also called on the government for an "equity" and to do its part in preparing for the hosting of the FIBA World Cup, where four of the country's largest arenas located in four key towns within two adjacent provinces will stage the games.

“What [the] government can do is to fix the roads, spruce up the city, and take charge of the security,” he said. “We have five years to prepare. Hopefully, by that time, train service in Metro Manila has improved, there will be less traffic, so we can encourage basketball fans from neighboring countries to come here. We must pull out all stops in staging an unforgettable tournament that will [be] watched by billions of people."

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