Believe it or not, the Philippines won the hosting rights of the 1978 FIBA World Cup, then known as the World Championships, without a bid. It was unlike what happened in Tokyo last Friday when the FIBA Central Board chose to award the hosting rights of the 2019 World Cup to China over the Philippines on a vote of 14-7. While there was an actual bidding event in Tokyo, it was just a handshake that sealed the deal in 1978.
SBP senior consultant Moying Martelino, a former FIBA Asia secretary general, recalled that in 1978, things were so much simpler and less tedious.
“The Philippines qualified to play at the 1974 FIBA World Championships in Puerto Rico by virtue of winning the FIBA Asia title the year before in Manila,” said Martelino. “I wasn’t in Puerto Rico but Lito Puyat, who was president of BAP (Basketball Association of the Philippines), went with the team. Lito was with two newspapermen Tony Siddayao and Gus Villanueva.”
While in Puerto Rico, Puyat and the two writers observed the proceedings of the World Cup and figured it wouldn’t be difficult to stage the next edition in Manila. “Tony and Gus wrote the proposal to host the 1978 World Championships in Manila and Lito submitted it to FIBA,” said Martelino. “All FIBA required was a pledge to provide at least four-star hotel accommodations for the players, coaches and officials and in-land transportation. The host’s responsibility began when the delegations landed in Manila. The teams took care of their air travel. It was that simple.”
However, the landscape of Philippine basketball changed dramatically from 1974 to 1978. The PBA was born in 1975, the result of an uprising that was an indictment on Puyat’s leadership in BAP. In 1974, the Philippines was represented in Puerto Rico by the country’s best players – Robert Jaworksi, Bogs Adornado, Jimmy Mariano, Manny Paner, Ramon Fernandez, Joy Cleofas, Tembong Melencio, Francis Arnaiz, Abet Guidaven, Yoyong Martirez, Big Boy Reynoso and Dave Regullano. In 1978, the national team was made up of non-pros Alex Clarino, Steve Watson, Padim Israel, Ed Merced, Mon Cruz, Bokyo Lauchengco, Cesar Teodoro, Joy Carpio, Nat Castillo, Greg Gozum, Pol Herrera and Cesar Yabut.
In 1974, the Philippines won two games in Puerto Rico, beating Australia, 101-100 and the Central African Republic, 87-86. In 1978, the host country was seeded into the eight-team semifinals but finished without a single win.
The Philippines would’ve hosted its first FIBA World Championships in 1963 but then President Macapagal denied visas for delegations from Yugoslavia and Communist countries. That prompted the first of three Philippine suspensions by FIBA. So the 1978 hosting was the Philippines’ second opportunity.
Martelino said the bitter bidding between the Philippines and China for the hosting rights of the 2019 FIBA World Cup was reminiscent of the fierce war between the US and Japan for the hosting rights of the 2002 edition.
“If I remember correctly, the vote was a tie and FIBA president George Killian broke the deadlock by voting for the US which was his country,” said Martelino. “So the US hosted the 2002 World Championships in Indianapolis. But FIBA awarded the hosting rights of the 2006 World Championships to Japan which held it in Saitama. It was like a concession to Japan for the effort in bidding for the 2002 World Championships.”
Martelino said he has no idea if FIBA will agree to award the Philippines a concession as a finalist in the bidding for the 2019 World Cup. “That’s speculation,” he said. “Only FIBA can decide what’s in store for the future. We’ve proved to FIBA our ability to host a major basketball event in 1978 and the FIBA Asia Championships in 2013. You can’t really blame FIBA for deciding to award the hosting rights to China.”
Martelino said the scuttlebutt is China’s bid was at least three times more than what the Philippines put on the table. “I heard it was anywhere between 32 to 35 Million Euros (the equivalent of P1.6 to 1.8 Billion),” said Martelino. “The minimum bid was 8 Million Euros. For the Central Board members who had no inclination towards either China or the Philippines, it came down to how much was being offered. You just don’t turn down that kind of money. It was obvious that China wanted to host. They had never hosted the World Cup before while we did in 1978. So they offered an amount that no one could match.”
Martelino worked in the finance committee of the 1978 hosting. “We were lucky that Ka Doroy (Valencia) was chairman of the finance committee that raised funds for the event,” he said. “Ka Doroy was very persuasive. At that time, the Araneta Coliseum had an exclusive contract with a soft drink brand. But Ka Doroy got a major sponsorship from a competing soft drink brand. Somehow, he was able to pull it off. Then, he had a raffle selling P1 a ticket for 10 Toyota cars that were on display at the Rizal Park. Ka Doroy convinced Pabling Carlos, who worked with the Silverios, to donate the cars.”
Martelino said the 1978 World Cup delegations were billeted at the five-star Philippine Plaza Hotel and designated a coach, called the Love Bus, each. “FIBA secretary-general Borislav Stankovic and founding secretary-general William Jones were impressed with the way we hosted,” said Martelino. “The stadium was packed to the rafters for every game even when the Philippines didn’t play. That’s how much we love basketball.”