Beijing (China), Aug 17 (Xinhua): Andreas Zagklis, Secretary-General of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), has explained that basketball as a sport is embracing new participants, expanding its depth, and enjoying increased popularity.
Zagklis made these comments on Wednesday night during a pre-event media briefing less than 10 days before the commencement of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which retains the 32-team format used in the previous edition.
However, there are also notable differences this time around. For the first time, the tournament will unfold across three distinct countries -— Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan -— each in a different time zone. Among the 32 participating teams, nine will be making their debuts in the FIBA World Cup, reports Xinhua.
During the briefing, Zagklis fielded questions about basketball development in various regions, including West Asia, Britain, Japan, and other parts of the world.
Zagklis highlighted that FIBA events have garnered substantial support from basketball enthusiasts in West Asia and North Africa. Britain has demonstrated commendable performances in FIBA competitions for both men's and women's categories, and Japanese basketball has shown remarkable progress.
"Our mission is to establish basketball as the most popular sports community worldwide," he emphasized. "This vision forms the cornerstone of our efforts to foster the global growth of our sport."
The logistical challenges stemming from the three-host-country arrangement prompted FIBA to implement measures to minimize transfers. Over half of the teams will not require relocation after the group stage, and those needing transfers will have a maximum of one transfer. Zagklis noted that the presence of three different time zones benefits the distribution of game broadcasts, ensuring games span various times of the day.
Zagklis expressed openness to potentially repeating the multi-country organising format in future World Cup events. This could result in additional FIBA World Cups with multiple host countries. "The central board has considered the possibility of up to four countries and multi-country hosting models," he explained.
On a business level, the 2023 FIBA World Cup stands out as it boasts a record number of sponsorship and marketing partners. "From a commercial standpoint, this World Cup has already proven to be the most successful we've ever had," Zagklis stated.
In the FIBA World Cup, the 32 teams have been divided into eight groups of four teams each.