Love for hoops PH’s biggest edge in Fiba hosting bid—consultants

Sean Nicholls, Octagon President for Asia Pacific, SBP President Manuel V. Pangilinan, and Ian Rumsby, Weber Shandwick Chief Strategy Officer for Asia Pacific.

If there is one driving force in the Philippines’ bid for the 2019 FIBA World Cup hosting, it is the Filipinos’ passion for the sport of basketball.

It’s the country’s biggest asset, the international consultants said, and should be the main focus of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas’ presentation when it faces the FIBA Central Board in August.

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“The one thing that stands is the extraordinary level of passion. Basketball is deeply within the social fabric of the public. That spirit of collaboration and support in all across the community is incredibly strong,” said Ian Rumsby, Chief Strategy Officer for Asia Pacific of Weber Shandwick, one of the two firms hired by the SBP in the bidding process.

READ: Fans come out to support PH’s bid to host Basketball World Cup

“We feel we have a strong story to tell, which is why the Philippines is worthy of hosting the World Cup,” added Sean Nicholls, President of Octagon.

Speaking in front of a handful of mediamen, the consultants explained the country’s strengths and discussed the bidding process in a round table discussion at Meralco Complex on Wednesday.

Along with China, the other remaining candidate for the hosting rights of the World Cup of Basketball, the Philippines will present before the 23-man Fiba Central Board  in Tokyo on August 7.

After a couple of days of rehearsing the presentation, the delegates will formally present their bids in front of the Board followed by a closed-door question-and-answer session. After that, FIBA will vote on which country will get the hosting rights for the 2019 event.

“No doubt China has the experience and expertise, but we believe we could equally host a successful event,” said Nicholls.

They also clarified that other than staging the event itself, FIBA is looking at the bigger picture: the impact the hosting will leave to the country and its contribution to the overall growth of the sport worldwide.

READ: Alapag calls on ‘passionate’ Filipino basketball fans to help PH win Fiba hosting

“It’s not just a sporting event, it’s a media event. If we look at the position of FIBA, this is an organization that wants to take basketball at the next level. We believe the Philippines is exactly the nation to do just that, and hosting event here can definitely move the sport forward globally,” said Rumsby.

“Unlike any other nation, the potential of hosting can and will create an extraordinary experience, not just for individuals as tourists, for the Philippine community to be a part of this, for the players and teams, and for everybody involved. Coming to the Philippines will without a doubt be an extraordinary experience for all, and there is no doubt that the country can deliver an extraordinary event.”

Nicholls believes that the Philippines can make the biggest impact in basketball when it comes to hosting.

“FIBA wants an event that transcends the sport. The centerpiece of our whole argument is we believe the Philippines will create the biggest noise, energy, and buzz, draw attention, and create ripples around the world when it comes to basketball. Never have been the World Cup held in a country with so much passion for the sport. It’s like the Football World Cup in Brazil, it’s a sport which means so much to this country.”

SBP President Manuel V. Pangilinan once again expressed his confidence in the Philippines’ chances, saying that the enthusiasm on the idea of hosting the event has been such a big boost in the bid.

“The message of hosting such event resonated with a lot of people. That’s important on the perspective of FIBA,” he said.

“FIBA wants a quantum leap in the hosting of this event. I believe that we can do it.” CFC