MANILA, Philippines – Isa ang Pilipinas sa mga napiling host ng FIBA para sa tatlong Olympic qualifying tournaments sa Hulyo 4-10.
Inihayag ng FIBA Martes ng gabi ang kanilang mga napili kung saan kasama ng Pilipinas ang Italy at Serbia.
Tanging ang Pilipinas ang bansa mula sa Asya na napili, ngunit kabilang din sa naunang 15 initial list ang Iran at Japan.
Philippines, Italy & Serbia will host the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (4-10 July)! #FIBAOQT #RoadToRio pic.twitter.com/pc7dCAH2nR
— FIBA (@FIBA) January 19, 2016 Bago pa mapili ay nagbayad ang Samahan Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) ng entry fee 20,000 Euros o nasa P1.05 milyon nitong Oktubre.
Ikinatuwa naman ni SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan ang magandang balita.
“SBP wishes to express its gratitude to FIBA and its Executive Committee for giving us one of the hosting rights for the Rio Olympics Qualifying. We are indeed pleased and privileged to receive this news,” pahayag ni Pangilinan.
“I wish to convey to Fiba President Horacio Muratore and Secretary General Patrick Baumann SBP’s assurances that it will do its best in making the event worthy of an Olympic event. We wish our Smart Gilas team Godspeed in its quest to be part of the Olympic movement again. Laban Pilipinas! Puso!”
Bigong makapasok sa Olympics ang Gilas Pilipinas matapos matalo sa China sa FIBA Asia nitong nakaraang taon.
Hindi pa naman sarado ang pintuan at kinakailangang manalo ng Pilipinas sa gagawing qualifying tournament dito.