The Philippines is expected to pull all the stops both on and off the court in the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers on June 16 to 20, 2021, which the country will host at Clark Freeport Zone.
Organized by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers-Philippine leg will use a sports quarantine bubble approach approved by the Inter Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
This is where the designated venue is expected to shine, just like the Gilas Pilipinas players.
Clark Development Corporation (CDC) President and Chief Executive Officer Manuel R. Gaerlan said the staging of the international competition here will strengthen Clark Freeport's position as a preferred sports tourism destination not only in the country but also across the Asia Pacific Region.
This Freeport hosted the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) bubble competition last year wherein it provided an exceptional experience to the local players. It hopes to extend the same experience to the delegates of the FIBA Asia Cup games.
SBP was given the green light by IATF last May 6 under Resolution kNo.114 to carry out the qualifiers. Various teams from nine countries including the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, Chinese Taipei, Japan, China, Hong Kong, and Guam will join the competitions.
Participating teams from other countries are expected to arrive here on June 13.
Strict health and safety protocols will be put in place throughout the hosting of the games. CDC has coordinated with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), Metro Clark Local Government Units (LGUs), SBP, Philippine National Police (PNP), Office of the Civil Defense (OCD-R3), and venue representatives to ensure the safety and security of all participants and stakeholders.
The players, FIBA, and SBP officials will be accommodated at Quest Hotel- Clark, while media personnel, utility partners and ancillary staff will stay at Lohas Hotel. CDC guest houses will likewise be utilized by other local staff.
The Angeles University Foundation – Sports and Cultural Center (AUF-SCC) was also identified as a venue for games and practice sessions for the international competition.
The CDC-Tourism Promotions Division (TPD) said that meetings and ocular inspections with different committees will be held in the coming days to finalize plans.
Thanks to its state-of-the-art facilities and suitability for various sports activities, Clark has also chosen by different sports organizations as their official venue for bubble training, events, and scrimmages.
Some of these include the bubble practice session of NLEX Road Warriors, Philippine National Volleyball Federation for the Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship (bubble setup), 2021 Swimming National Selection Meet (bubble setup), and National Trials for Road Events to select Philippines’ representatives to the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Hanoi.
Clark Freeport Zone was recognized by the Philippine Sports Tourism Awards (PSTA) as the Sport Tourism Destination of the Year for 2015, 2018, and 2019.