The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas could not help but empathize with the struggles of the Korea Basketball Association with regards to the COVID-19 outbreak they have been experiencing.
The surge in cases in Korea also hit the national team hard which resulted in several positive cases within the team and, later on, resulted in their withdrawal.
On Thursday morning, hours before Korea’s supposed first game in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers against Gilas, the SBP received official communication from the KBA that they will not be participating in the tournament.
“The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) has formally received word from FIBA that Korea can no longer send a team to compete in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 – Asian Qualifiers hosted in the Philippines this week,” read the statement of SBP president Al Panlilio.
And the SBP laments not getting to host the Koreans for the second time in two years.
Moreover, the Philippine federation knows how hard it is to plan things during a surge as the country also experienced the same thing last January.
“We at the SBP commiserate with our friends from Korea as we know how difficult it is to deal with COVID-19,” expressed Panlilio.
“The SBP hopes that all the members of the team who caught the virus will get well at the soonest time possible.”
With Korea out, only three Group A members remain in the country, namely the Philippines, New Zealand, and India.
New Zealand faces India on February 24 at 3:00 PM; Gilas squares off against India on February 25 at 6:00 PM; New Zealand and Gilas will still happen on February 27 at 7:00 PM; while the window closes with New Zealand-India II on February 28 at 3:00 PM.
The SBP has assured Basketball New Zealand and the Basketball Federation of India that the country’s hosting will be up to standards with current protocols.
“We’ve worked hard to provide a safe venue as hosts for Windows 1 and 2 in Group A and we are looking forward to hosting and playing against India and New Zealand.”
