MANILA, Philippines (3RD UPDATE) – The Philippines would not get denied this time. 

After losing to China for the hosting rights of the 2019 FIBA World Cup, the Philippines, together with Japan and Indonesia, have successfully won their bid to host the quadrennial meet’s 2023 edition. 

Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, which will be automatically seeded for the World Cup, edged another joint bid by South American countries Argentina and Uruguay. Basketball powerhouses Turkey and Russia earlier withdrew their bids. 

This will be the first time multiple countries will host the basketball World Cup.

Part the 10-man delegation that went to Geneva, Switzerland to present before the FIBA Central Board, the governing body for basketball, were Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas head honchos Al Panlilio and Sonny Barrios, longtime basketball patron Manny Pangilinan and Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes.

We did it! Philippines will host 2023 FIBA World Cup. God bless us. #PlayLouderIn2023

— Manny V. Pangilinan (@iamMVP) December 9, 2017

Victory! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! #BasketballIsComingHome #PlayLouderIn2023 #FIBAWC2023 in Manila

— Chot Reyes (@coachot) December 9, 2017

.@FIBA chooses the Philippines-Japan-Indonesia to host @FIBAWC 2023!!! And the country explodes!!! #PlayLouderIn2023 pic.twitter.com/iKDUENLVTs

— Gerard Anthony Naval (@gerardnaval) December 9, 2017

 The Philippines, which last hosted World Cup in 1978, will host 16 of the 32 qualified countries in 2023 while Japan (Okinawa) and Indonesia (Jakarta) will be home to 8 countries each. 

When Philippines hosted the 1978 World Cup, the tournament was still called FIBA World Basketball or Mundo Basket.

Countries which will advance to the semifinals and the finals will then play in the Philippines, possibly at the 50,000-seater Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Palace celebrates

Meanwhile, the Malacañang also celebrated the success of the Philippines in winning the bid. Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar applauds this feat as a “country’s re-emergence and rising prominence in the world of international sports.”

According to Andanar, it will be expected that the Philippines will be able to reap the economic benefits of tourism and investments in the following years in preparation of the 2023 hosting. 

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and Manny V. Pangilinan also received a good reaction from Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque as he believes that this will serve a chance for the Philippines to show their love for basketball to world. 

“It will be a great opportunity for basketball-loving country like the Philippines to show to the world our love for the sports and our unity as a people,” said Roque.

 Here are other reactions in social media:

2023 world cup in the Philippines! Its gonna get crazy!!!! Congratulations to our representatives for a job well done! @coachot @iamMVP @TheDeanQuinito and the rest of the team!

— Kiefer Ravena (@kieferravena) December 9, 2017

 <blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-lang=”en”><p lang=”ja” dir=”ltr”>JBA：FIBAバスケットボールワールドカップ2023　予選ラウンド　沖縄開催決定