Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The International Basketball Federation is expected to announce the host of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup on Friday, August 7.
The People’s Republic of China and the Philippines—the two nations bidding to host the event—are well-represented in Tokyo, Japan where the FIBA Central Board will announce its decision.
For China, the delegates include former NBA player Yao Ming, Vice President of the Chinese Olympic Committee Gao Zhidan, and Beijing Vice Mayor Zhang Jiandong. While the Philippines is represented by Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas President Manny V. Pangilinan, former Gilas-Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes, former national team captain Jimmy Alapag, Filipino-American actor Lou Diamond Phillips, and eight-time world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao.
The media had the chance to speak to some of the delegates and here’s what they said, as originally posted on the FIBA website:
Yao Ming, China 2019 Ambassador and basketball star (asked to compare, based on his visits to the Philippines, the love of basketball there compared to the love of basketball in China): “You can’t say that one type of love is better than the other. Both are great. Both countries have a great passion for basketball, particularly for FIBA basketball.”
Manny Pacquiao, Philippines Congressman and eight-time world boxing champion: “I am a boxer but I am here because I love basketball so that tells you the passion that Filipinos have for basketball. If we host the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, we can show that passion to the world.”
Zhang Jiandong, Vice Mayor of Beijing and Chairman of the China 2019 bid committee: “At least 300 million people play basketball in China and if we host the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, we can increase that participation. China is the most populous country in the world and we can make basketball the most popular sport in the world. We believe that we can make the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup a complete success because of China’s economic stability, strong financial guarantee and the government’s complete support. We can make it a safe, most reliable and risk-free event.”
Manuel V. Pangilinan, President of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas: “In our country, basketball is number one. Ninety percent of the population play, watch or follow the sport in one way or another. It’s not just Filipinos in the Philippines that are passionate about the sport. It’s Filipinos all over the world. Football may be number one in many places around the world, but basketball is number one in the Philippines.”
Gao Zhidan, Vice-President of the Chinese Olympic Committee: “Basketball is very popular in China and if we host the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, we can foresee a great rise in that popularity. This will have a great impact on the professional league (CBA) as well as the university league which is developing very fast. It will help with our aim to train more athletes and get a bigger pool of talented players.”
Lou Diamond Phillips, Filipino actor and director: “The Philippines has come of age and we are incredibly hopeful of geting to host the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. We are the biggest social media country and we already have more than two billion impressions of #PUSO2019.”
Reyes and Alapag had made their case much earlier.
“It’s time for basketball to come home, our home. It’s all about puso. Lahat tayo naiintindihan kung gaano kalalim ang pride and passion natin sa basketball,” said Reyes, who led the Philippines to a silver medal finish in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship that secured the country a place in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
