While the Clark venue is currently staging the PBA Philippine Cup, SBP mull over the same site for the FIBA February window. The proposal has been formally handed over to FIBA, SBP President Al Panlilio confirmed.

According to Panlilio, if the hosting bid is granted, SBP can get things rolling to host two groups of the FIBA Asia Cup bubble.

“We’ve actually written FIBA that we are offering Clark as a bubble not only for our group phase (but also) if they need another site where we can also host another group phase,” Panlili said.

The Clark venue doing a great job in the PBA which can field a bubble with 12 teams present. With these means, Panlilio makes strides that SBP can even anchor the third group. 

“Per group is only four. Sabi namin, we can handle two. In fact, we can even handle three because, in the PBA, we have 12 teams for a span of six weeks. This (Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers) is just going to be maybe less than a week,” Panlilio added.

Panlilio is decisive that FIBA will most likely agree to the one group but is still deliberating on the second.

“Most probably, they will agree to one group in Clark. Maybe they are debating whether we can bring in a second one. But we will find that all out maybe after this window. But we offered,” he revealed.

Still, without preceding the arrangement, Panlilio is looking forward to securing the bid in hosting the bubble.

“We are working on the documentations. The hosting documentation, protocol lang din. We have to fill up forms. We have started the process,” Panlilio reiterated.

Currently competing in the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers in Manama, Bahrain is Group A consisting of the Philippines, Thailand, Korea, and Indonesia. Additionally, is Group D – Lebanon, Bahrain, India, and Iran. 

Meanwhile, Doha Qatar is hosting two group bubble.