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| If the bid becomes successful, the Mall of Asia Arena could become the main home of the 2023 FIBA World Cup. (file photo) |
By Ivan Saldajeno
MANILA--It seems like the SBP is still in pursuit of letting the Filipinos see the FIBA World Cup in flesh.
FIBA confirmed on Tuesday through a news release that some members of the SBP attended an informative workshop at the said international organization's headquarters in Mies, which is a preliminary step for those who wish to bid for the hosting of the game's most prestigious tournament.
Eleven national basketball bodies, including the SBP, were represented in the said workshop, which could likely mean the said organizations are expressing their intent in hosting the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Representatives from the national basketball organizations of Argentina, Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Poland, Russia, Serbia, and Turkey also attended the two-day workshop, which ends on Wednesday.
The 2023 FIBA World Cup could be a historic one as multiple nations within a certain continent can now submit a co-hosting bid, paving the way for Hong Kong, an autonomous region in China, to join the informative workshops in hopes that it can find a partner in its hosting bid, although one country going solo remains an option.
After the workshop, the national federations who will apply for the World Cup will be given a bid application questionnaire to be answered by early 2017.
The FIBA Central Board will convene on December 2017 to determine the host(s) of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
The SBP applied for the 2019 FIBA World Cup hosting right but lost to China. As a "consolation", the SBP was among the hosts of the FIBA OQT last July.
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno
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