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MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas can make FIBA history when it plays its first World Cup home game in over four decades.
Hosting the World Cup for the first time since 1978, the Philippines looks to shatter the FIBA all-time attendance record as it faces Dominican Republic for its Group A opener at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan on August 25.
The current FIBA record is the 32,616-strong crowd that watched Team USA, then led by NBA stars Shaquille O’Neal, Dominique Wilkins, and Reggie Miller, coast to a 137-91 rout of Russia in the 1994 World Cup title game.
“What we would like to do is to break the record of 32,000-plus attendance in a FIBA game,” said Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Al Panlilio during a Senate presentation late last year.
Shattering that record should be an achievable feat at the 55,000-seater venue.
Just last January, a PBA record 54,589 fans watched Barangay Ginebra beat guest team Bay Area Dragons, 114-99, in Game 7 of the Commissioners Cup finals at the Philippine Arena.
But Gilas Pilipinas gets only one crack at the record as it plays the rest of its group stage matches at the Araneta Coliseum.
To encourage fans to watch on August 25, the World Cup local organizing committee will launch an Independence Day ticket promo that offers a five-day pass package, with the customers getting the fifth day pass for free.
Only category 4 upper box and category 5 general admission seats are included in the promo, which will run from June 12 to June 16. Tickets are available for purchase online at https://philippines-ticketing.worldcup.basketball/
Gilas Pilipinas banks on its home court advantage as it eyes a top-two finish in Group A, also comprised of Italy and Angola, in a bid to reach the second round. – Rappler.com
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