Qatar takes over FIBA World Cup hosting chores from Philippines

MANILA, Philippines – The biggest basketball event in the world will stay in the Asian continent.

For the third straight edition, Asia will host the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2027 as Qatar formally received the hosting ball from the Philippines, which co-hosted this year’s Cup with neighbors Japan and Indonesia.

Outgoing FIBA president Hamane Niang, with no less than Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) chairman Manny V. Pangilinan, handed the golden FIBA ball to the Qatar Basketball Federation at the sidelines of the World Cup finale over the weekend at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Pangilinan, also the chair of the Philippine Local Organizing Committee, first passed the ball to Niang before handing it over to Mohammed Saad Al Meghaiseeb, president of Qatar Basketball Federation, and Sheikha Asma Al Thani, director of marketing and communications for the Qatar Olympic Committee.

“We are very proud to receive the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 as the next hosts of this fantastic event. Hosting such a huge event for one of the most popular sports in the world is a huge honor for Qatar,” said Al Almoghaiseb.

“We are grateful to our colleagues in FIBA and the Philippines for giving us the opportunity to see closely the organizational delivery of the World Cup.”

The turnover ceremony from the Philippines to Qatar served as the fitting finale to a memorable World Cup that started with the FIBA congress, where FIBA Asia chief Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani was elected as the new world basketball president to succeed Niang from Mali.

He was also the former president of Qatar federation and vice president of the Qatar Olympic Committee. Qatar prior to the FIBA World Cup came off a successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup last year.

In Qatar, leading Philippine mobile services provider Smart Communications Inc. (Smart), has renewed its global partnership with the world basketball federation until the 2027 World Cup.

It’s a new four-year partnership between FIBA and Smart following an excellent team-up in bringing the 2023 World Cup closer to basketball fans around the world marked by the construction of the Mall of Asia Ball as “one of the most breathtaking and monumental basketball tributes ever seen at a FIBA event.”

SBP president Al Panlilio, for his part, beamed with honor and pride as the Philippines hosted the World Cup in flying colors for the second time around since 1978.

“I’m extremely proud of all the LOC [Local Organizing Committee] staff and volunteers. And (feel) extreme joy for the coming together of the FIBA community to make this World Cup a memorable one,” said Panlilio as the Philippines set a new World Cup gate-attendance record.

“But there’s also a feeling of extreme bittersweetness as it comes to an end, yet overshadowed by extreme hopefulness for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar.”

Home team Gilas Pilipinas finished 24th in the 32-team World Cup to earn a ticket in the Paris Olympic Qualifying Tournament in front of huge crowds, highlighted by 38,115 fans during the opener against the Dominican Republic at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.