Recapturing The FIBA World Cup Championship

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