BOXING hero Manny Pacquiao said Wednesday he would promote the Philippines? bid to host the 2019 International Basketball Federation Fiba World Cup.
?Yes, I?m going to Tokyo with the Philippine delegation to help in our bid to host Fiba 2019,? he said in a statement.
Pacquiao, 36, said he would travel next month to the Japanese capital where FIBA would announce the host.
The basketball-crazy Philippines qualified for last year?s Fiba World Cup in Spain, finishing 21st.
It faces stiff competition from Asian giant China as host for the 2019 event, according to the Fiba website.
Pacquiao, who has gained worldwide fame for holding boxing world titles in eight weight divisions, is also an avid basketball fan.
Last year he controversially signed on as playing coach of a neophyte team in the highly-competitive Philippine professional basketball league.
However the 5? 7? Pacquiao has been underwhelming on the hardcourt, playing just for a few minutes in each game despite cheering fans in the bleachers.
Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas president Manny V. Pangilinan, who is spearheading the bid, earlier said that China, which has hosted the 2008 Olympics, may have the advantage in infrastructure, the Filipinos have the advantage when it comes to passion for the sport.
?China has done it in a scale not done in the Philippines. Beyond that, it is a media event and I don?t think China has the ?heartware? that we?ll show whereas in the Philippines, basketball is number one,? GMA news qouted Pangilinan, who met with select reporters in a roundtable discussion about the Philippines bid in Manila yesterday.
SBP has earlier announced that should the Philippines get the hosting rights, one of the venues that will host the games is the planned arena at the soon-to-opened new SM Seaside Mall at the South Road Properties.
In 2013, the Philippines hosted the Fiba Asia men?s championship and the national team?popularly known as Gilas Pilipinas?finished second to eventual champion Iran, earning a spot in the 2014 Fiba World Cup in Spain.
Fiba has decided to move the next World Cup to 2019 instead of the original 2018 schedule so as not to coincide with the FIfa World Cup. (with AFP)
