More than enough

China’s bid to host the 2019 FIBA World Cup is anchored on the slogan “More Than Ever,” insinuating that with the increase of participants from 24 in Spain last year to 32, the world’s most populous country is more equipped to manage more teams with more venues, more facilities and more money.

There’s no question that China dwarfs the Philippines in terms of resources. With both countries bidding for the FIBA World Cup hosting rights, it’s a battle between David and Goliath. If dollars and cents are the only measure of acceptability to host an event like the FIBA World Cup, then there will never be hope for a developing nation to aspire and dream of becoming a global player.

For China to offer eight venues in different cities when FIBA requires only four is a gesture not only of overkill but of flaunting wealth. The eight cities where China proposes to hold the preliminaries are Beijing, Wuhan, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Foshan and Dongguan. The list doesn’t even include China’s largest city Shanghai.

China’s rationale is since the preliminaries involve eight groups of four teams each, then it’s prepared to open the doors of eight separate venues. Never mind if this will mean spreading the FIBA management team thinly across the vast country. The idea of holding the preliminaries in four venues is to make it more accessible for international media to cover the games and FIBA to monitor the progress of the group stage. But China is rich beyond imagination. Offering eight stadiums in different cities is no sweat.

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China was recently awarded the hosting rights for the 2022 Winter Olympics. It hosted the Summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008, the World Triathlon Championships and the Summer Universiade in 2011, the World Badminton Championships in 2013, the Youth Olympics, the World Gymnastics Championships and the World Diving Championships in 2014 and the World Table Tennis Championships this year. Late this month, Beijing will stage the World Athletics Championships.

That’s not all. Since 1989, China has hosted five FIBA Asia Championships, including four of the last seven. China will also stage the next FIBA Asia Championships in Changsha on Sept. 23-Oct. 3 so that will mean hosting three of the last four editions. China was the site for the 2002 FIBA World Championships for Women and the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup. Now, China wants to add the 2019 FIBA World Cup to its resume. But isn’t this a case of more than enough rather than more than ever?

Wouldn’t it be unfair if only giant countries like China were to monopolize the staging of world sporting events? Surely, China could easily outbid any country for the hosting rights of any event whether in sports or some other field.  

We don’t live in a perfect world. That’s why there are checks and balances. If only giants were to exclusively rule the world, how will the voice of developing countries ever be heard? In bidding to host the 2019 FIBA World Cup, the Philippines is certainly not on even footing with China when it comes to resources and facilities. But the Philippines makes a strong case that its resources and facilities will be adequate to meet FIBA’s requirements and the country has a love for the game that is unmatched anywhere in the world.

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China claims that it is “a basketball-crazed nation” and promises “packed venues and passionate crowds” for “a truly unique promotional platform for the game.” In its proposal, China suggests that hosting the World Cup “will capture the attention of major corporate partners across the globe.” China may pack its venues with bodies but will the atmosphere surrounding the games be as electric as when basketball is played at the Philippine Arena or the Mall of Asia Arena or the Araneta Coliseum?

“For China, more basketball than ever means developing sport in general and basketball in particular as one of the country’s main focus sports,” the proposal points out. “Through China’s strength and focus on promotion, it will offer a gateway to develop basketball throughout the entire country and the world.”

If China is all about economics, the Philippines is all about heart. Staging an event like the 2019 FIBA World Cup is a guaranteed money-maker wherever it is held. It’s a magnet that will attract sponsors from all over the world. China’s premise that because of its economic power, hosting the event will create more opportunities for basketball isn’t exactly right. The point is those opportunities will be created by the event itself. The host will only guarantee a successful staging. What really sets the bids of both countries apart is where the sport lies in their heart. Football is the most popular spectator sport in China, not basketball. Table tennis and badminton may be even more popular than basketball among the Chinese.

In the Philippines, social media plays a huge role in spreading the word. It’s in fact the social media capital of the world. That is something that money can’t buy. Imagine the effect of broadcasting basketball on social media by a people with a passion for the game. It’s unquantifiable. It’s why heart, more than money, is what drives the Philippine bid to host the 2019 FIBA World Cup.