MVP admits PH 2023 hosting bid ‘expensive’

Manny V. Pangilinan. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) chairman emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan wouldn’t deny that the Philippines’ joint bid in the 2023 Fiba World Cup with Japan and Indonesia didn’t come cheap.

“The first word that came to my mind was expensive,” he bared on Thursday.

After the Philippines losing to China for the 2019 event, the amiable executive admitted that SBP had a hard time deciding on making another run at the 2023 event knowing how much money the country had to dole out.

But with the arrival of Japan and Indonesia in the hosting candidacy, it got easier for SBP to make one last bid as Pangilinan saw this event as his lasting legacy for Philippine basketball.

While executive refused to bare the amount the SBP had to release for the bid, he knows it was all worth it.

“I don’t think it’s right to be precise about numbers,” said Pangilinan. “This is no small work. You cannot put a price on this thing.

The Philippines will be the primary venue for the 2023 Fiba World Cup, with half of the group stages being held at Smart Araneta Coliseum and Mall of Asia Arena.

The other half will be staged at Okinawa Arena in Japan and Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The cavernous Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan will be the site of the final rounds, with the organizers expecting record turnouts for the event.