SBP sets World Cup countdown

JAKARTA – The one-year countdown for the FIBA World Cup will officially begin at the SM By The Bay in Pasay on Aug. 27 with the unveiling of the giant Tissot clock and SBP president Al Panlilio is pulling out all the stops to make sure the runway is cleared for take-off. Manila will host the draw ceremony in April involving 32 qualified teams, eight from Asia/Oceania, five from Africa, seven from the Americas and 12 from Europe. The World Cup is scheduled on Aug. 25-Sept. 10 next year.

The Philippines, Japan and Indonesia are co-hosting the World Cup. In the preliminary stage, 16 teams play in Manila, eight in Okinawa and eight in Jakarta. The two survivors from Okinawa and Jakarta each join the four survivors from Manila in the quarterfinals. As lead host, the Philippines will stage the quarterfinals, semifinals, playoff for third and the final. The Philippine Arena, Smart Araneta Coliseum and MOA Arena are the venues. Manila will also host the FIBA World Congress at the Sofitel Hotel before the games begin. Expected are delegates from 212 member countries.

To prepare for the hosting job, SBP president Al Panlilio said the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) identified four pillars to focus on – the Games, World Congress, Ways and Means and Support Services. Former PBA treasurer Dicky Bachmann is head of the Games committee. Cito Martelino, Gee Abanilla (venues), Andrew Teh and Eric Altamirano (technical) are in this committee. PLDT first vice president Julie Carceller is head of the World Congress while Smart Communications senior vice president Jane Basas is in charge of Ways and Means. SBP special assistant to the president Ryan Gregorio heads the Support Services group whose concerns include media, security, hospitality, practice schedules and medical. Event director and SBP executive director Sonny Barrios is on top of the four pillars with Erika Dy as deputy event director.

The LOC Executive Board is made up of SBP chairman emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan, Panlilio, PBA chairman Ricky Vargas, Barrios, DDB Philippines chief revenue officer John Lucas and Tats Suzara as master planner/chief organizer. Lucas heads the Joint Management Committee which interfaces with FIBA. Each hosting country has a counterpart Joint Management Committee that is linked to FIBA for brand marketing. The LOC has a working staff of 65 at the moment.

“It’s all systems go,” said Barrios. “FIBA secretarygeneral Andreas Zagkilis was recently in Manila to inspect the venues. One of the things being completed is a tube that connects Novotel to the Smart Araneta Coliseum to make it convenient for players. FIBA is extremely attentive to detail and staff even came with measuring devices to check on the dimensions of our courts. Mr. Zagklis sat down in different sections at the Philippine Arena to make sure there is no obstruction to viewing the game.”