FIBA Grants Clark Hosting Rights for February 2021 Asia Cup Qualifiers Bubble

  • Dec 12, 2020
  • BASKETBALL
Share

"There's no place like home,"

That indeed will be the thought for Gilas Pilipinas and the million of Filipino fans as Clark, Pampanga has been given the rights by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to host the bubble for two groups in the third window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers in February 2021. Group A and Group C are the ones who will be playing in the Clark bubble. Group A includes Gilas Pilipinas, Korea, Indonesia, and Thailand while Group C includes Australia, New Zealand, Guam, and Hong Kong. The news couldn't come at a better time as Clark was just coming off a successful hosting of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup bubble.

In a statement, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) President Al Panlilio thanked FIBA for its trust. "We are thankful for FIBA’s trust in our capacity to host not just a successful tournament but, more importantly, a safe one. We’re glad to have met their health standards and we are looking forward to welcoming Korea, Indonesia, and Thailand as well as Australia, New Zealand, Guam, and Hong Kong from Group C in our country," Panlilio also expressed the federation's gratitude to the PBA. "We’re also thankful to the PBA for sharing with us their expertise after successfully hosting the PBA Bubble and we’re looking forward to working hand-in-hand with them, including involved Philippine government agencies, and other basketball stakeholders in this unique opportunity,"

The new first vice president of the Philippine Olympic Committee also said, "The SBP is excited to show them the same warmth of Filipino hospitality even under these difficult circumstances,"

After sweeping the second window of the Asia Cup qualifiers, Gilas Pilipinas is slated to play against Indonesia and long-time nemesis, Korea. The good news: the Filipinos only need one more win to book their seats in the FIBA Asia Cup and there's no better place to clinch the seat than in our own backyard. 

Photo is from FIBA