There are many ways to interpret the reply of SBP vice chair Ricky Vargas to a question posed by the Inquirer ahead of the country’s crucial final presentation of its bid to host the 2019 Fiba World Cup.
“How confident are you that the Philippines will be awarded the hosting rights?”
China and the Philippines are the only two candidates left in the bidding process.
For the final presentation in Tokyo this Friday, SBP executive director Sonny Barrios led an advance party to prepare for the arrival of the main Philippine delegation.
“ED Sonny is already in Tokyo,” outgoing PBA chair Pato Gregorio said the other day.
“MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan), VPV (Victorico P. Vargas) and Al Panlilio are leaving on Wednesday while Congressman Manny Pacquiao, PBA CEO Chito Salud, the dignitaries and myself will leave on Thursday, the eve of the presentation.
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“If I am a betting man, I will go with my heart and bet on the Philippines to win the hosting bid,” Vargas said.
The response reeked with confidence, but he quickly added: “Prayers will be a big help, though.”
The Philippines’ final presentation for the hosting bid is perhaps one of the two most interesting sporting events being monitored by basketball fans hereabouts.
The other is the composition of the Gilas Pilipinas national team for this year’s Fiba Asia Championship scheduled next month in Changsha City in China’s Hunan province.
This corner had also wanted to ask Vargas if he thought the 16 PBA players the pro league endorsed to Gilas coach Tab Baldwin as candidates for the national pool are competitive enough to win the Fiba Asia title this time, but we decided to postpone the query until after the bid presentation in Tokyo is already done with.
The Philippines finished second to Iran in the 2013 Fiba Asia Championship held in Manila.