THE Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) expressed some concern that the 2019 Fiba World Cup is going to be held in the same year as the Southeast Asian Games, which the country is hosting.
If it wins its bid to host the world basketball showpiece four years from now, the Philippines will end up hosting two major sporting events that year.
SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan expressed concern that it will affect preparations for the World Cup, should the country beat China for the hosting rights.
“A little bit (worried),” Pangilinan admitted. “But I guess it’s (SEA Games) a regional event.”
The schedule for both events has yet to be announced, but they are not expected to overlap. The SEA Games this year in Singapore was held in June, while the biennial meet two years in Myanmar was held in December.
The 2014 World Cup in Spain, on the other hand, was held in September.
The two Australian consultants the SBP hired to help in the country’s bid also aired little concern of the possible clash in schedule.
“That’s something that’s on the back of our mind,” said Ian Rumsby, chief strategy officer (Asia Pacific) of Weber Shandwick, a public relations firm giant. “But I think this has been very much a focus of energy and effort in supporting the World Cup bid that there is a number of individuals that are focusing on this goal.”
“(It’s not only one group that) will be charged with the responsibility of running both events,” said Sean Nicholls, president (Asia Pacific) of Octagon, for his part. “There will be a separate entity that will run the World Cup and I’m sure there’ll be another entity that will run the Southeast Asian Games.”
“So in terms of the country’s ability to deliver both events, there’s no doubt it can,” he added.
Source: Karlo Sacamos of Spin.ph
