MANILA – China is the last country standing in the way of the Philippines’ ambition of hosting the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
The FIBA Executive Committee confirmed on Monday that the 2019 event will be played in Asia, with China and the Philippines as the last two candidates in the race to host the spectacle.
The FIBA Central Board will announce the winner in June. Germany, Turkey, and Qatar, meanwhile, have already expressed intention to host the 2023 event.
The Executive Committee will reconvene on June 16 to 17 before the Central Board holds a three-day meeting from June 18 to 20, where the main topic on the agenda will be to determine the host for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
The Philippines is coming off a successful staging of the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship in Manila, where it captured the silver medal and a spot for the World Cup the following year.
Basketball patron Manny V. Pangilinan promptly signified his intention of hosting the 2019 edition as early as last year, while a group from FIBA has already visited the archipelago, to check the strength of its bid for the World Cup hosting.
China meanwhile, hosted three of the last four editions of the FIBA Asia Championship, with 2013 being the only exception. It will host the event once again, later this year.
The country also hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2014 Youth Olympics.
Spain, which hosted the 2014 men’s championship, will be hosting the 2018 Women’s World Championship.
