Tournament organizers made it even more enticing for local basketball fans to attend the opening day of the FIBA World Cup at the Philippine Arena on August 25.

Aside from the Group A matches featuring Gilas Pilipinas versus Dominican Republic and Angola versus Italy, fans will be treated to world-class entertainment as well, as Filipino new wave/rock band The Dawn, online streaming sensation Ben & Ben, and Asia’s Popstar Royalty Sarah Geronimo aim to get the crowd on its feet to rock the arena in between the two scheduled games.

But that's not all.

To make the transport to the Philippine Arena easier for fans, organizers have arranged to deploy 400 49-seater air conditioned buses from 12 strategic take-off points: The PITX Bus Terminal, Mall of Asia Arena, One Ayala Bus Terminal, BGC Market Market Bus Terminal, SM Megamall, Araneta City, Trinoma, SM North, Clover Leaf Ayala Mall Bus Terminal, SM Baliuag, SM Pampanga, and SM Clark.

Opening-day ticket holders for the Philippine Arena games may go to https://bit.ly/3rNFIR4 to choose their preferred pick-up location and time of departure. All they will need to do is arrive on time and show their opening-day ticket/s.

The buses will also be available after the Gilas Pilipinas-Dominican Republic game to take riders back to their starting point.

The free shuttle bus rides are scheduled to depart from each boarding terminal at 11am and 12 noon, and hourly from 1pm to 5pm.

At the Philippine Arena, fans will each be given hamburgers upon presentation of opening-day tickets. Inside the venue, FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 merchandise will be handed out to patrons in the different sections, such as scarves, fan clappers, and rally towels.

There will also be special LED wristbands, which enable everyone in the arena to be part of a special lights show that will take place.

Fans will also have a chance to be part of FIBA World Cup history, as the goal is to set the record for attendance at the Philippine Arena and break the existing number of 32,616.