Rizal arena readied for FIBA practice sessions

PRACTICE venues for the world’s best basketball players, like Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, along with other stars of the National Basketball Association comprising Team USA, are being readied inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard Bachmann said this with less than 100 days left before the start of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

Bachmann, who is also the chairman of the interagency task force in charge of the country’s World Cup hosting, said renovation of the facilities for these players and national athletes, are continuing.

“There’s a lot of construction going on,” said Bachmann.

The Philippines will play host to USA and Serbia, along with cagers from Lithuania and Greece, which have top- caliber

NBA players in their roster.

The four are considered as among the top-ranked teams in the world and they will set foot on Philippines shores in time for the Group Phase.

Greece and Serbia will be among the teams to watch out for, with NBA stars like Jokic of Serbia and Antetokounmpo of Greece, expected to be seen at the vicinity of the Vito Cruz facilities.

Bachmann bared that the badminton hall will also be used by organizers in monitoring the progress of events taking place.

The world meet will run from August 25 to September 10, with Angola, Dominican Republic, Italy, South Sudan, China, Puerto Rico, Jordan, New Zealand, Egypt, Mexico, and Montenegro also set to have games slated at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City and the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.