A BEATING heart for basketball is the main driving point as Fiba unveiled the official logo for the 2023 Fiba World Cup on Friday.
The global hoops conclave, to be jointly hosted by the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia, kickstarts its #DontMissABeat campaign with the logo focusing on a heart, the Naismith Trophy and the year 2023.
"The three host countries all have a strong passion for basketball and this love of the game is embodied in the new FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 logo, which will bring together millions of fans, with millions of hearts beating as one," the international governing body for basketball said in a release.
"The sideways heart symbolizes the passion for the game, while the Naismith Trophy is the dream for all participating teams in the World Cup. The '23' represents the year during which the spotlight will shine across the three host countries."
The 2023 Fiba World Cup, to be held from August 25 to September 10, 2023, will see some of the top basketball players in the world converge in host cities Manila, Okinawa, and Jakarta, with the final rounds being held in the country.
"We Filipinos are all proud to be a part of this important milestone in basketball, together with Japan and Indonesia", said Fiba Central Board member and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) chairman emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan.
"The Philippines looks forward to extending our brand of hospitality to the participating teams, to the world congress delegates, and to the many visitors expected to come - true to the essence of the logo we are launching today - a heart, the puso of the Filipino."
Japan Basketball Association president Yuko Mitsuya added: "For the first time in history, the tournament will be hosted by three countries. We will continue to work together with Fiba, the Philippines, Indonesia and the city of Okinawa to create a moment where basketball fans from all around the world will feel their hearts beat together and share the excitement of the game of basketball."
Indonesian Basketball Association (PERBASI) president Danny Kosasih, also said, "The logo certainly represents all three host nations' spirit of uniting and working together with the same heartbeat to deliver the best basketball experiences that fans could ever have."
"This is a very exciting milestone," Fiba secretary general Andreas Zagklis said. "The distinctive Fiba Basketball World Cup 2023 logo symbolizes our love for the game, which is shared by the organizing committees and FIBA, and it also represents the vision and passion of the event that brings together, for the first time, three host countries."
Eighty national teams are expected to vie for the qualification for the 2023 Fiba World Cup, with the first series of games slated on November next year.
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