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Hosting FIBA World Cup in 2027 a 'great challenge' for Qatar

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Levi Joshua Verora Jr.

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="USA and Jordan battle under Group C during the group stage of the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Pasay City on August 30, 2023. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/09/13/20230830-fiba-usa-jordan-md-25.jpg"/><figcaption>USA and Jordan battle under Group C during the group stage of the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Pasay City on August 30, 2023. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA -- From boisterous roars that welcomed Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic to chants of “defense” in unison that virtually made the bronze medal match a Team USA home arena, the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 served as a spectacle for basketball-loving fans in Indonesia, Japan, and the main host, the Philippines.</p><p>The pressure is now on for Qatar and its basketball federation to try and replicate the successful joint hosting pulled off by the three countries from the eastern side of the continent when the Arab country hosts the flagship event in 2027.</p><p>“Qatar is a different part of Asia. China is different, the three countries now are different, and Qatar is different again. It just presents such an amazing opportunity and it’s exciting,” FIBA World Cup 2023 executive director David Crocker said. “This is a great challenge in Qatar.”</p><p>Qatar was announced as the next host of the biggest basketball tournament in the world last April, a day before the draw for the recently-finished World Cup in Manila.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/09/11/23/team-first-mentality-nets-germany-first-fiba-world-cup-title">&#x27;Team-first&#x27; mentality nets Germany first FIBA World Cup title</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/09/10/23/germany-overcomes-serbia-to-become-world-cup-champions">FIBA: Germany overcomes Serbia to become World Cup champions</a></li></ul><p>It will be the third straight World Cup to be held in Asia after China hosted in 2019.</p><p>As early as now, officials from the Qatar Basketball Federation are already preparing for the event. About 20 delegates from Qatar were in Manila during the final phase to observe and learn from the Philippines’ staging of the games.</p><p>“The main thing about the organizing committee in Qatar is they’re also involved in the football World Cup. They spent time coming and doing a site visit here for this World Cup. They continue to see some little things here that they can put in their own World Cup,” Crocker said.</p><p>The energy-rich Gulf nation hosted the men’s FIFA World Cup last year. For the basketball World Cup, all venues are already constructed and 92 games will be played in Doha, offering fans arguably a more convenient experience from a traveling perspective.</p><p>“I think interesting also is the access to European countries. We should see quite an interesting World Cup there. We’ll see it,” Krocker added. “This (2023) has been totally awesome.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KefkURTJ-GE?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div><strong>-- Record-breaking numbers --</strong></div><p>According to FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis, Japan’s Olympic berth-clinching win over Cape Verde was a game that became the most watched television program in the country of the year.</p><p>There were more than 10 billion impressions from FIBA’s social media accounts, doubling the engagement numbers from China’s 2019 hosting. Zagklis also remarked that video views have tripled and that FIBA’s accounts have earned two million new followers.</p><p>“This is very important because the images are what inspire the people and also what makes the next generation want to grab a ball,” Zagklis said.</p><p>For Crocker, the numbers generated by the remarkable two-week event is a testament to Asia’s potential as a market for the sport.</p><p>“I think it proves the future of basketball in Asia. We have something massive, massive population,” he shared.</p><p>“So, we really want to be able to continue to improve the number of people who keep playing basketball and love it like Filipinos do. It’s a beautiful game. We just see the incredible opportunity the market presents in Asia.”</p><p>United States head coach Steve Kerr also acknowledged the support Filipino fans gave Team USA, and hopes the game continues to grow internationally.</p><p>“We&#x27;ve loved seeing the passion of the fans here in Manila and we want the game to keep growing,” he said.</p><p>“We want as many kids out there as possible playing the game. It&#x27;s a wonderful game. It teaches a lot of great lessons. Teamwork, competitiveness, and resilience. People may pass that off as corny or whatever but it&#x27;s the truth.”</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/sports/09/11/23/watch-germany-celebrates-world-cup-triumph-with-mvp-schroder">WATCH: Germany celebrates World Cup triumph with MVP Schroder</a></li></ul><div><strong>-- Optimism in a new region --</strong></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Japan co-hosted the FIBA World Cup 2023 with the Philippines and Indonesia, and earned an Olympic berth as the highest-ranked Asian team in the tournament. FIBA." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/09/13/20230913-fiba-world-cup.jpg"/><figcaption>Japan co-hosted the FIBA World Cup 2023 with the Philippines and Indonesia, and earned an Olympic berth as the highest-ranked Asian team in the tournament. <em>FIBA.</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>The upcoming World Cup four years from now is the second staging in a Muslim country after Turkey in 2010, and the first in the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region, or simply known as the &quot;Arab world.&quot;</p><p>Zagklis is optimistic about the reception Qatar can produce from its staging of the games.</p><p>&quot;We have a big interest for team sports in the Gulf region. I&#x27;m optimistic that going into this new market for us will also expand our footprint but also, most importantly, develop basketball in that part of the world even more,&quot; Zagklis said.</p><p>Qatar is widely believed to have ambitions of bringing the Olympics to the Arab world following the hosting of back-to-back World Cups for major sports.</p><p>&quot;It is a different region we&#x27;re coming to. We see some countries are traditional in the sport, (like) Lebanon and Jordan. It is increasingly popular in the gulf. Qatar is very committed and personally, it would be the dream of a fan,&quot; Zagklis continued.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s going to be a tremendous basketball experience. You will be able to see all the best basketball players in the world in the same city across four venues.&quot;</p><p>The executive added that bringing the World Cup to different parts of Asia starting with China reinforced among fans how enjoyable the international game is, given that most fanbases have a more established affinity with the NBA.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/09/11/23/fiba-team-usa-coaches-honored-to-lead-alongside-each-other">FIBA: Team USA coaches honored to lead alongside each other</a></li></ul><p>FIBA intends to do the same in Qatar, hoping to solidify its footprint in the continent.</p><p>&quot;With the big exposure that our top men&#x27;s league has, the NBA, we have had the opportunity to exhibit to the fans in China, in Japan, in Jakarta, and here (Manila) what the international game, FIBA basketball, is all about,&quot; Zagklis said.</p><p>&quot;We have mobilized so many people to play basketball in this part of the world that is so populous. I am very optimistic about what Asia can do in the future.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/09/13/23/schroder-toasts-crazy-fans-as-world-champs-return-to-germany">Schroder toasts &#x27;crazy&#x27; fans as world champions return to Germany</a></li></ul><p>RELATED VIDEO</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LJNvKbInFOg?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 served as a spectacle for basketball-loving fans in Indonesia, Japan, and the main host, the Philippines.