From the time we joined the event in 1936 and four years after
establishment of FIBA Men's Basketball World Championship in 1950,
Philippines has become renowned internationally and has taken center
stage as being one of the competitive teams in this sports event.
In
1954, the Philippines, along with the United States of America and
Brazil, qualified and and advanced to the finals in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil FIBA World Cup. After the event, the Philippines ended with
bronze medal on hand. This is our first and last medal ever in the FIBA
World Cup.
Also,
the Philippines was stripped of hosting the 4th FIBA in 1963 due to
allege failure of issuance of players and officials in the socialist
countries that provided visa. By this consequences, Brazil took over the
event venue for the third time since the inception and incorporation of
FIBA Men's Basketball World Championship in 1950.
In
addition, the first country to ever receive the first James Naismith
Trophy was the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) in 1967
Montevideo, Uruguary FIBA World Cup. It was also their first gold ever received in this quadrennial event.
Traditionally,
in order for a country to host the Federation
Internationale de Basketball Amateur event, a country must qualify first
at least to
the world championship but not until the hosting of Colombia in 1982
that paved the way to the non-qualifying country to host the said world
cup. So, Colombia is the first country to host a FIBA World Cup which
has not been qualified in the FIBA Championship to date.
Although the the
country holds the title for having the first professional basketball in
Asia, the Philippines, as the first Asian to be in the FIBA World Cup
Championship, still continue to struggle with other neigboring countries
to regain our berth in the world championship.
Since 1986 that followed by particular losses in 1996 and 2002, Korea
has become the albatross around the nation's neck with regard to capping
the FIBA Championship Game.They were the hurdles the impeded us to get
into a championship for the past decades.
In 28 years, the Philippines has become dormant in dominating a clear
stand in the Federation Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) World Cup
Championship. Thus, Patriotic players donning our national
flag had evidently prepared for a tough readiness and agility for the
comeback at least in FIBA-Asia Championship. As anticipated, Gilas
Pilipinas sealed a clear victory over Sokor 86-79 on August 10, 2013, at
the Mall of Asia Arena.
Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur name
existed until 1989 but its acronym has remained inspite of denoting the
word amateur therein. The headquarters was moved to Munich, Germany in
1956 but in 2002, the federation returned its headquarters to Geneva,
Switzerland again.
With roaring cheers inside and outside
the jampacked arena and support from the fans all over the archipelago
and the world, Gilas Pilipinas ignited their undoubted skills, agility,
flexibility, and outside shooting streak that night to secure their
stance in the limelight of being a champion again in the 27th FIBA-Asia
Men's Basketball Championship this year.
According to other
commentaries, the curse was already lifted from the Philippines and the
heartbreak was now felt by our neighbor South Korean. Others said that
not only Jinri Park and Grace Lee were snatched by the Philippines from
South Korea but also a berth in the Championship game in Spain in 2014.
At the end of the 27th
FIBA-ASIA Championship in Manila, Gilas Pilipinas was upset by the
well-experienced Iran, 87-71, on August 11, 2013. By this achievement,
Iran has secured their historic 3rd consecutive championship in FIBA-Asia—the
first in the history—while the Philippines settled for the silver medal. On this season, Hamed Haddadi was proclaimed the Most Valuable Player.
Now as both advance to the world championship, the Philippines and Iran
including Korea can still settle to another yet gruelling competition
to grab a Naismith Trophy in the much-awaited 2014 FIBA World Cup Championship next year.
Good Luck Pilipinas!
updated: 20 August 2013
