SBP ‘will do its best’ to host qualifiers befitting of Olympic event

Filipino fans in Spain during the 2014 Fiba World Cup. PHOTO from FIBA.com

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Manny V. Pangilinan couldn’t hide his excitement as the Philippines was granted the rights to host one of the 2016 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournaments slated on July.

Shortly after the results were announced, Pangilinan wrote on his Twitter account: “YES!! PHILIPPINES TO HOST FIBA OLYMPIC QUALIFYING IN JULY. LABAN PILIPINAS! PUSO!”

In a separate statement, Pangilinan said expressed his happiness for the basketball-crazy nation for being one of the three countries to host the final qualifying tournament for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

READ: Philippines to host Olympic basketball qualifiers

“Happy for Pinas. Happy for our people. Finally. And eternal thanks to Fiba, especially to Sec. Gen. (Patrick) Baumann. God bless Gilas. God bless our country,” Pangilinan said.

SBP also thanked the Fiba and assured that the Philippines will do its best in hosting such huge basketball event.

“SBP wishes to express its gratitude to Fiba and its Executive Committee for giving us one of the hosting rights for the Rio Olympics Qualifying. We are indeed pleased and privileged to receive this news. I wish to convey to Fiba President Horacio Muratore and Secretary General Patrick Baumann SBP’s assurances that it will do its best in making the event worthy of an Olympic event. We wish our Smart Gilas team Godspeed in its quest to be part of the Olympic movement again. Laban Pilipinas! Puso!”

The Philippines on Tuesday night was as one of the three hosts together with Serbia and Italy.

The winners of the three tournaments will complete the 12-team cast for the Summer Olympics in August.