It wasn’t just about sports infrastructure

Most Filipinos who followed the Fiba World Cup bid last Friday were hopeful that the decision-makers would give the Philippines a chance despite the clear edge of China in infrastructure.

China offered eight cities with spanking venues ready at a moment’s notice to host a world event.

The Philippines offered the Mall of Asia Arena, Philippine Arena, Smart Araneta Coliseum and a still-to-be-built facility in Cebu.

As any smart bidder would do, the Philippine team underscored its assets and vigorously pitched that Filipino passion for the game would create a festive atmosphere for an unforgettable tournament.

Though reliable and accustomed to basketball events, the Philippine venues looked small and snuggled in densely populated spots that posed challenges to mobility. This was clear when CNN Sportsdesk aligned the two presentations together and one could easily spot the differences.

In the end, Fiba went with the experience and infrastructure offerings of China for the world games in 2019.

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Kudos to the Philippine bid team that went with our strengths against the formidable odds China posed. Reaching the final stage of bidding in spite of the shortcomings in the venues department was a major feat.

Fiba gave due recognition to the passion we have for the game but made a practical decision.

The outcome of the bid disappointed those who followed the proceedings but they also knew that the Philippines needed to improve its infrastructures, not only in basketball and sports but in every facet of daily life as well. These were the same people who struggle each day with traffic and an inconsistent railway system.

They are the same ones who try to watch sports events and deal with the agonies of some venues that have dilapidated seats, confusing parking, stinking rest rooms and poor security.

They are the same ones who love basketball but wish that their patronage and adoration would be rewarded with an easier way to get in and out of venues.

They also hoped that if the Philippines would host the Fiba World Cup some changes for the better would happen.

They also wanted to win the bid because it would have been an opportunity to show the world how excellent hosts we are, willing to go out of our way to please our guests. But we really have to do so much more to make it truly more fun in the Philippines.

Maybe this bid for the Fiba World Championships will make the country re-think its urban planning to have not only more venues for sports and entertainment but also the infrastructure for better mobility, security and productivity.