How the FIBA ​​wants to push basketball in Asia

Even before the start of the World Cup, John Lucas assumed that records would be broken: “It’s practically the Olympics for basketball. It’s the biggest sporting event ever in the Philippines. In the Philippine Arena we could have 45,000” 50,000 spectators. And I think we can do that, too.

John Lucas is part of the organizing committee for the FIBA ​​Men’s World Cup, which is being held in the Philippines, among other places. The record attendance for a FIBA ​​World Cup game until Friday was 32,616 people, set in Toronto, Canada in 1994. On the outskirts of Manila, where the world’s largest indoor arena is located, a new record has now been set: 38,115 people watched the first match. For the Philippines against the Dominican Republic in the hall.

Basketball is very important in the Philippines

And it is not for nothing that the record was set in the Philippines: basketball is very popular in this island state. The government had ordered no schools on the opening day of the tournament. Officials should stay away from work. And because the metropolitan area around Manila is known for its unstable traffic situation, teams staying here will be escorted from their hotels to the stadiums by police cars throughout the tournament.

Spectators are also supported in an unusual way, so that they are not stuck in the daily traffic jam: “We really want to promote something special to the audience. We have set up 400 buses at twelve strategic points in the “Metro Manila area” to have shuttle service. And from there you can go directly to the place. All you have to do is show your ticket and you can even register online in advance. We encourage everyone not to come by car, but to take the shuttle buses,” confirms Charlie Kuna, another World Cup organizer.

And in a big city like Manila, which is built for vehicular traffic, this announcement really shows how special the situation is. Kona explains why his country is in a state of emergency: “Well, we’re a basketball-obsessed nation. We’re happy to give back to all the fans.”

Playgrounds on the church grounds

In basketball, the Philippines, whose population is on average slightly smaller than that of the United States or Europe, is not considered a world power. By far the most popular sport here is basketball. Playgrounds are located on church grounds, in backyards, and in every village.

The sport was introduced here more than a century ago, when the United States was a colonial power. But the only Filipino playing in the world’s leading NBA league today is Jordan Clarkson – a half-Filipino who grew up in Tampa, USA and has never lived in the Philippines.

Japan seeks to qualify for the Olympics

The situation and history of basketball is similar in the second host country: Japan. Although it was never an American colony, it has been heavily affected by trade with the United States since the late 19th century. Basketball is one of the most popular sports in Japan today. With Rui Hachimura, the country also celebrates an NBA player who was born and educated in Japan. But he prefers to focus on the new season and not participate in the World Cup.

However, national team coach Tom Hoffas made it clear in the run-up to the World Cup that his team wanted to get past the group stage: “I want my players to play hard together and work backwards as a matter of course, and get the rebounds.” That way we can become number one. one in Asia. Then we also qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris.”

Host Indonesia is not even eligible

The third host country, Indonesia, which failed to qualify for the finals despite being the host country, is less competitive. This World Cup may suffer from a lack of tournament atmosphere – not only because matches in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta will be played without the Indonesian team.

And the distances are enormous for fans and teams: there’s a ten-hour flight between Okinawa, Japan, and Jakarta. This FIFA World Cup is not a compact tournament – ​​let alone one with the lowest possible environmental footprint.

Obviously, another idea was more important to FIBA: soccer has been flourishing around the world for a long time. Following this model, FIBA ​​now wants to advance basketball, especially in Asia, which is by far the most populous continent.

This is the second consecutive FIBA ​​World Championship to be held in Asia after China. The host country for 2027 has already been decided: Qatar, another Asian country.