The FIBA Basketball World Cup got underway in three Asian countries on Friday, with co-hosts the Philippines losing to Dominican Republic 87-81 in a game that shattered the tournament's 29-year-old attendance record. FIBA said a record crowd of 38,115 attended the world's largest indoor arena north of the capital Manila, erasing the previous record of 32,616 fans that watched the US-Russia final at the 1994 World Cup in Toronto, Canada. The basketball-obsessed and boisterous Filipino fans went home disappointed, however, following the defeat of the 40th-ranked Philippines to 23rd-ranked Dominican Republic. "We found a way to stay disciplined tonight," Dominican Republic center Karl-Anthony Towns told reporters. Seven teams, two each from the Americas and Europe as well as one apiece from Africa, Asia and Oceania, will qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics based on their World Cup finish.

Source: The Standard August 26, 2023 04:26 UTC