FIBA officials here for inspection

A three-man FIBA Evaluation Commission is arriving today to assess the country’s worthiness to serve as principal host, in partnership with Japan and Indonesia, of the 2023 World Cup.

Scheduled to fly in aboard Singapore Airlines at around 5:25 p.m. are FIBA Central Board and Commission president Hamane Niang of Mali, FIBA Central Board member and treasurer Ingo Weiss of Germany and Advisor to the Secretary General Lubomir Kotleba of Slovak Republic.

The FIBA Basketball World Cup is held every four years, with the Philippines, after a four-decade absence, competing in Seville, Spain in 2014 as a result of Gilas Pilipinas’ silver medal finish in the FIBA Asia Championship the year before at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Cup is the most prestigious international tournament in the sport of basketball, featuring the best 32 teams from 32 countries all over the world. The 2023 version is also the qualifying tournament for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

The Philippines, together with its partners Japan and Indonesia, is taking the lead in bidding to co-host the 2023 World Cup.

If granted the rights, the Philippines will house competition for 16 of the 32 teams in the eliminations and be the host for the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.

The FIBA Evaluation Commission will be making its recommendation to the FIBA Central Board shortly after, with a decision on the bid winner announced in December.

Other bidding countries are Russia (single host bidder), Turkey (single host bidder) and Argentina and Uruguay (co-host bidders).