Win FIBA World Cup basketballs!

Here’s a golden opportunity for you to win Molten 2019 FIBA World Cup composite leather and rubber basketballs with the unique dragon-design inscriptions that mark what will actually be used for every game in the 32-nation competition in China on Aug. 31-Sept. 15. 

Sonak Corp. CEO Anil Buxani is making available five composite leather and five rubber basketballs, both of the World Cup variety, to winners of a special blitz contest we’re launching here today. It’s easy to join.

Just answer these three questions correctly –

1. Who was the Philippine national basketball coach when Manila hosted the 1978 FIBA World Cup?

2. Name the two PBA rookies in coach Yeng Guiao’s Gilas 19-man training pool for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

3. What were the two NBA teams that Gilas’ Andray Blatche played for? Then, in three sentences or less, write about the significance of the Philippines playing at the 2019 FIBA World Cup. For an entry to be eligible to win, it must contain correct answers to the three questions and a concise, insightful essay on the essence of the Philippines’ participation in the World Cup.

Each entry must also note the sender’s name, age, occupation (if student, course, year, school), address and contact details (email address, cellphone number). Entries may be sent via email to [email protected], via Twitter @TheDeanQuinito, via Facebook @Joaquin Henson or via Instagram @therealdeanquinito.

The actual 2019 FIBA World Cup all-leather basketball will not be available for sale anywhere. Molten produced a limited number of all-leather basketballs exclusively for the use of teams in practice and during the competition. In the Philippines case, only 25 basketballs were delivered and they were sent to the SBP for Gilas’ use in practice last June.

However, to commemorate the event, Molten manufactured composite leather and rubber basketballs that reflect the feel, look and character of the World Cup edition. The composite leather 12-panel basketball is FIBA-approved and will be out in the market on Wednesday at a suggested retail price of P1,800. The rubber 12-panel basketball is also FIBA-approved and will retail for P700. Both models will feature the World Cup dragon design that symbolizes the players’ drive “to compete with the fundamental elements of basketball: heart, basket, ball and court.” The basketballs will also replicate the improved control and grip performance, new color and new pebble surface of the all-leather version.

The World Cup composite leather basketball is tagged as B7G3800 and will replace the BGM7X in the market while the World Cup rubber basketball is the B7G2000 to replace the BGR7-OI. Both are classified as FIBA “special edition” basketballs so they’re destined to become collectors’ items.

National teams from Greece, Italy, Croatia, Puerto Rico, Switzerland and Japan tested the all-leather World Cup basketball before Molten was convinced of its quality, durability and practicability. The process took over a year and the balls will be rolled out at the World Cup. The new basketball, B7G5000, shows an authentic natural leather surface texture which allows for more controllability without breaking in and has a water absorptive quality. It is less slippery with wet hands and immediately playable. A high-foamed structure with an added backing layer of 35 percent makes for a softer handle and easier control. The texture top of original leather is wider by 95 percent compared with a pebble surface for better grip while having minimum but enough texture bottom for ideal sweat-wiping effect, noted Molten.

“We are pleased to provide a much-needed game ball for the most important international basketball event in the world,” said Molten president/CEO Kiyofumi Tamiaki. “The new official game ball features unique technologies while maintaining its traditional and authentic look. It is our conviction that the real game happens only when impeccable balls enable players to realize their full potential and push performance to the limit.”

Send in your entries now. We’ll announce the winners in this column on Wednesday.