IN PHOTOS: As FIBA World Cup opens, Pinoys show love for basketball

Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

<p>Adversity, they say, inspires us to give it our best. And the Philippines is one country that is not lacking in adversity.</p><p>Take, for example, basketball.</p><p>We are, in general, short, and even the infrastructure for sports is mostly wanting. But gather a few boys together and the game is on. All they need is a ball and a ring (sometimes even the latter is questionable). </p><p>Because in the Philippines, everybody plays basketball. It doesn&#x27;t matter whether you&#x27;re skilled or not, if you can dribble or throw a ball. It&#x27;s like karaoke. When you are a Filipino and you are challenged to sing, nobody says no.</p><p>The game is easy to arrange -- you just meet up and you play. In 2s, 3s, 5s, any number would do. And as you can see here, it doesn&#x27;t matter WHERE!</p><p>And this is what makes the Filipinos love basketball -- the challenge.<br/>All these people playing hoops may not make it to the big league, but they definitely give it all even for just a short game by the roadside. For the challenge.</p><p>So despite the adversity -- with the economy facing inflation, the difficulties of organizing after the pandemic, and even the insufficient number of venues not just for the games but for practice -- the Philippines still stuck to its dream of hosting basketball&#x27;s biggest event, the FIBA World Cup, back in 2017. And despite the tall task for our Gilas Pilipinas team who will face the mightiest of the sport in the world </p><p>The challenge has been accepted. Come August 25, Filipinos will be there for the FIBA World Cup 2023.</p><div></div><div class="media-content"><div class="slider-for"><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-1.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-2.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-3.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-4.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-5.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-6.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-7.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-8.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-9.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-10.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-11.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-12.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-13.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-14.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-15.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-16.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-17.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-18.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-19.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-20.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-21.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-22.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-23.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-24.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-25.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-26.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-27.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/25/filipinos-basketball-28.jpg"/></div></div><div class="media-content slider-desc"><div class="item-desc"><p>Pandacan, Manila. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Pandacan, Manila. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Pandacan, Manila. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Sangandaan, Caloocan City. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>A street in Quezon City. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Bahayang Pag-Asa Sports Complex, Valenzuela City. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Sampaloc, Manila. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>A barangay league in Navotas City. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Besides Navotas River in Navotas City. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Port Area, Manila. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Sampaloc, Manila. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Sampaloc, Manila. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Sampaloc, Manila. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>San Mateo, Rizal. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Pandacan, Manila. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Pandacan, Manila. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Navotas City. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Baseco Compound, Manila. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Baseco Compound, Manila. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Sampaloc, Manila. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Sangandaan, Caloocan City. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Titan Hoops Fair, Taguig City. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Titan Hoops Fair, Taguig City. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>A barangay league in Navotas City. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Navotas City. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>The Tenement, Taguig City. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>The Tenement, Taguig City. <cite>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</cite></p></div></div></div><div><em>For more stories on the FIBA World Cup, click <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/fibaworldcup2023" target="_blank">here</a>. </em></div>

IN PHOTOS: As FIBA World Cup opens, Pinoys show love for basketball | ABS-CBN

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IN PHOTOS: As FIBA World Cup opens, Pinoys show love for basketball

IN PHOTOS: As FIBA World Cup opens, Pinoys show love for basketball

Mark Demayo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 25, 2023 07:48 AM PHT

|

Updated Aug 25, 2023 12:04 PM PHT

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