MVP, Thohir form great synergy for FIBA World Cup bid

MANILA, Philippines – A meeting over the weekend in Hong Kong between Filipino business mogul Manny V. Pangilinan and Indonesian magnate Erick Thohir forged the Philippines-Indonesia partnership for a bid to host the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Pangilinan and Thohir form a giant synergy with all their investments in various businesses in their respective countries and in their lofty standing in sports.

Both sit in the FIBA Central Board, making it easier for them to come up with the agreement for a joint bid to host the next edition of the World Cup after the 2019 event set in eight major provinces of China.

But with a bigger fan base for basketball, the Philippines is taking the lead role in the bid. Also in the agreement is the holding of the championship game in Manila should the Phl-Ina bid win.

Pangilinan, the former SBP president who is still considered the moving spirit of the Phl cage federation now under Al Panlilio, initiated the talk with Thohir, head of both the Indon federation and the Southeast Asian Basketball Association (SEABA).

"MVP invited Thohir to come over in Hong Kong over the weekend. Since MVP is Gilas' patron with business interests in Indonesia, and since both MVP and Mr. Thohir sit in the FIBA Central Board, the partnership was sealed easily," SBP executive director Sonny Barrios told The STAR.

Pangilinan holds office in Hong Kong as top executive of the Hong Kong-based First Pacific Group.

"We thought of inviting somebody to join us in the bid because the 2023 WC has a new configuration allowing multi-country hosting. We look at Indonesia because of its sizable representation in terms of population," Barrios added. "We now have 105 million and they have 260 million so that's a strong 365-million fan base."

Barrios, along with SBP deputy executive director Butch Antonio and TV5 chief financial officer Ana Bengzon, attended the FIBA workshop in Geneva last November which was specifically for the 2023 World Cup.

Hong Kong, Japan, Russia, Turkey, Australia were among countries that sent representatives in the workshop. "But based on experience, federations present there may or may not pursue their bid applications," said Barrios.

The Phl-Ina bid is definitely a go.

In Indonesia, Thohir is what is Pangilinan in the Philippines. Among the richest in Indonesia, Thohir has stakes in the Philadelphia 76ers team in the NBA and DC United in the Major League Soccer.

He has a flourishing media empire consists of three TV channels, several radio stations, sports magazines, advertising companies and online publishing.

His father Teddy co-owns Astra International, the Indonesian company which holds the exclusive distribution rights to car brands such as Toyota, Peugeot and Daihatsu, and with interests in the financial sector as well.