ALLAN THE MAN

With the Philippines gaining a stellar reputation among officials of FIBA after successfully hosting the Asian championship tournament earlier this month, local basketball officials are studying the possibility of putting up a bid to host the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2019.

Officials of the world basketball body were impressed with the country’s staging of the FIBA Asia Championship from August 1 to 11 at the Mall of Asia Arena, from the venue to the accommodations to the technical aspects of the broadcast.

“They’re using the Philippines as a role model. Legend tayo roon sa mga FIBA officials. Ibang klase raw talaga how the event was hosted, the atmosphere inside the venue and how we were able to put up a world class coverage,” said Reyes.

According to a highly-placed source, officials led by Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manuel V. Pangilinan are looking at options to bring back the world basketball championship to Manila.

Gilas Pilipinas qualified for the Basketball World Cup in Spain next year. The next iteration of the event will be held in 2019 to kick off a new cycle that would make the tournament the qualifier for the 2020 Olympic basketball competition.

The 2019 event will also feature a bigger cast, with FIBA expanding the lineup from 24 to 32 teams. The event is expected to feature the star-studded Team USA led by players from the NBA.

The Philippines last hosted the world championship in 1978 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Pangilinan was spearheaded the staging of the FIBA Asia Championship in Manila, serving as chairman of the event’s Local Organizing Committee. The group of companies under his banner were also instrumental in providing sponsorship for the event.

The FIBA Asia tilt was the second major high-profile basketball event put up by Pangilinan and co. in the last three years. In 2011, he hosted the SMART Ultimate All-Star Weekend, a series of exhibition games featuring NBA superstars Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and James Harden, among several others, against local teams.

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