FIBA sets bid guidelines

MANILA, Philippines - With six countries in the short-list of bidders for the right to host the 2019 World Cup, FIBA laid down five guidelines in evaluating the tenders during a two-day workshop at the federation headquarters in Mies, a Swiss village near the Geneva international airport, recently.

SBP deputy executive director for external affairs Butch Antonio, who attended the workshop as a member of the six-man Philippine delegation, said the five guidelines are players’ welfare, quality of event production, stakeholders experience, financial viability and legacy.

“The first guideline or concern is players’ welfare, meaning FIBA wants the host to provide the best conditions so that the world’s best players are excited to participate,” explained Antonio. “FIBA wants the best players to represent their country and not skip this opportunity. The idea is if you decide not to participate, you’ll be missing a chance of a lifetime. FIBA will evaluate whether a bidder can provide the best venues, the best accommodations, the best logistical support.”

Antonio said the 2019 edition will be the biggest World Cup ever with 32 teams participating from 24 in Spain this year. The teams will be split into eight groups in the eliminations. The host country is guaranteed a slot then five will come from Africa, seven from the Americas, seven from Asia/Oceania and 12 from Europe. In Spain, Asia had three slots with Iran, the Philippines and South Korea and Oceania had one. In 2019, Asia and Oceania will be combined to represent a single zone with seven entries. Australia and New Zealand are the primary contenders from Oceania.

Qualification for the 2019 World Cup will start in November 2017 and end in February 2019. The two-year qualification period will feature six windows for home-and-away games in November, February, June, September, November and February. Continental tournaments, such as the FIBA Asia Championships, will no longer be the stage to qualify for the World Cup.

“FIBA wants the 2019 World Cup to become the best ever and that’s why they want the best of the best to play,” said Antonio. “The second guideline is the quality of event production. This is where FIBA will evaluate the sites to check if they conform to global standards. They’ll also review how a bidding country intends to stage the event. The requirement is four venues for the eliminations and one for the playoffs. Two of our proposed venues will be finished in 2018. FIBA will send a five-man technical team to inspect our facilities in January but it won’t be taken against us that two of our venues are still not up. The two venues are Solaire and SM Cebu. We expect our five proposed venues to be in full operational capacity a year before the World Cup.”

Antonio said the third guideline involves stakeholders experience. “This goes beyond the confines of the venues,” he went on. “FIBA wants the event to touch the lives of the public, the sponsors, the media, the fans. They want it to be a personal experience, something unforgettable. Fourth is the financial aspect, the vitality of the project. Here is where FIBA will evaluate the scale and quality of the offer from the commercial standpoint. The starting bid is 8 Million Euros or the equivalent of close to P500 Million. Finally, FIBA wants the host country to leave behind a legacy for basketball. How ready is the host country to ensure that the event won’t be easily forgotten?”

Antonio said the Philippines’ advantage is FIBA’s awareness that basketball is the country’s most popular sport. “FIBA knows how special basketball is to our people,” he said. “They know how we do things from the way we organized the last FIBA Asia Championships. FIBA wants the world’s best players to perform before a packed stadium. What’s the point of bringing the best players to a country where they’re not appreciated?”

Antonio said the Philippines made a strong impression on FIBA by sending the biggest delegation to the Switzerland workshop. “Every person in our delegation had a designated responsibility or area of coverage,” said Antonio. “Even our Philippine Ambassador to Switzerland (Leslie Baja) came to attend the first day of the workshop. I think FIBA duly noted the quality of our questions and observations. They saw that even during breaks in the workshop, we would meet separately to discuss issues. They saw how serious we are in this bid.”

Antonio said Gregorio showed a 20-second video in his phone of the PBA season opener at the Philippine Arena last October when 52,612 fans packed the venue. “That’s how much we love the sport,” said Antonio. “The FIBA officials were impressed. A member of the German delegation saw the video and commented that maybe, Germany and the Philippines should make a joint bid. We made it a point to assure FIBA that there will be no empty seats if we host the World Cup.”

China, Germany, France, Turkey, Qatar and the Philippines are bidding to host the 2019 event. Germany and France are considering to submit a joint bid. The winning bid will be announced during the FIBA Central Board meeting on June 18-19 in Mies. Assisting the SBP in preparing the bid is a Connecticut-based global sports, entertainment and lifestyle marketing and talent agency Octagon.