THE Philippines is nearly a hundred percent ready to stage of the 2023 FIBA World Cup for Basketball.
Officials involved in the Joint Management Committee of the FIBA World Cup Local Organizing Committee said this on Wednesday following an interagency meeting with the Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard Bachmann at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
FIBAWC Chief Implementor Ramon “Tats” Suzara said they are 98 percent ready for the games, which will be hosted by multiple nations for the first time in its history.
“The two percent are the finishing touches. And these are about the tables and chairs and displays inside the venues. The venue staff at the Araneta Coliseum, MOA Arena and the Philippine Arena are ready,” said Suzara.
The tournament will serve as qualification for the 2024 Summer Olympics, where the top two teams from each of the Americas and Europe, and the top team from each of Africa, Asia and Oceania, will qualify alongside the tournament’s host France.
Teams coming from 16 out of the 32 countries, which will come to the Philippines in the third week of August, will have a chance for some sort of meetups for fans that organizers will allow before action gets going on Aug. 25.
“We will surprise everyone. This will really be a world-class basketball event,” said Joint Management Committee head John Lucas.
Before the featured matchup between the Philippines and the Dominican Republic on August 25, the opening ceremonies are expected to be crowd-drawer, featuring performances from The Dawn, Ben & Ben, and Sarah Geronimo.
The facilities inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, and Philsports Complex in Pasig, will serve a training facilities for the players, many of whom are professional players from the NBA and are playing for their respective national teams.
Bachmann said they are in talks with FIBA on if fans will be able to view the practices, and get in touch with their favorite players, or if organizers will restrict access to the workouts.
“We are still talking to the FIBA about this. And what they will allow for the fans,” said Bachmann.
