SBP executive director Sonny Barrios. https://www.sbp.ph/ photo
MANILA, Philippines — After leaving a lasting impression in successfully hosting the 27th FIBA Asia Championship, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) is now looking at the possibility of staging the FIBA 3×3 Under-18 World Championship in 2015 here.
According to SBP executive director Sonny Barrios, the country’s basketball federation had already received a letter from the world governing basketball body on whether it’s interested in bidding to host the event.
But before even plunging into it, Barrios also said that SBP President Manny V. Pangilinan told him to first take a good look at the scope of holding a world-scale basketball event before anything else.
“[MVP] said let’s take a serious look at it,” said Barrios Tuesday in the weekly PSA Forum. “But that was before this hosting of the FIBA Asia Championship. Actually, FIBA has already sent letters to those interested to host the 3-on-3.”
“But I told Mr. Pangilinan to wait first for the result of the FIBA Asia hosting. The hosting experience has been good, a lot of lessons were learned.”
Barrios added that the Philippines’ Asian Championship hosting, the country’s first in 40 years, left FIBA Asia officials more than pleased with the way it turned out.
One of the main reasons of the country’s successful hosting was the unwavering response of the hometown crowd, witness to its team’s silver medal finish in the biennial cage meet.
“While it may not be perfect, they (FIBA Asia) were lauding us, thanking us. More than satisfactory, they were overwhelmed by the public’s response. They didn’t expect the support of the public,” said the former PBA commissioner.
“They (FIBA) are on an aggressive marketing blitz to sell basketball to the world so I wouldn’t be surprised if the Philippines will be an image model for basketball hosting,” Barrios said.
Barrios though, would rather keep his lips sealed in the meantime regarding the Smart Gilas Pilipinas’ next move after it booked a trip to the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain for the first time since clinching a berth back in 1985.
“What’s next? I don’t have an answer to that yet. Allow us to savor the victory first even for just a week,” the SBP executive said with a smile. “It’s a good reward for all our sacrifices that we were able to make the Filipino people happy.”