Jimmy Alapag's pitch for PHL's hosting of 2019 FIBA World Cup

The great actor Al Pacino is 5-foot-7-inches tall. He once said his height made him realize he had to do things differently. He had to perform with heart and head.

 

I'm not much taller than Al. To succeed, I, too, have had to learn to unite the fire in my heart with the strategy in my head. To feel big and think big.

 

And through the years, from my boyhood to the man I am now, that's exactly what my country has done. We are boldly taking our place in the modern world. We are a country full of dreams that we are busy turning into reality, with massive investment in our people, our cities and our infrastructure.

 

For us, there is no bigger dream than to host FIBA Basketball World Cup. It is a dream that helps us to focus not just on what we must deliver but on what we wish to become as a nation, a country taking its heritage, its generosity and its love for life confidently into the future.

 

That's the legacy the World Cup is already creating for us. But what of the legacy we can create for FIBA in basketball? What can we do for you? We have the infrastructure. We have some of the finest basketball venues in the world. And we have the capability.

 

But we also have something quite unique: An entire country, one united nation, waiting to welcome the world. That is the key. The difference the Philippines can make to world basketball and the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

 

In the Philippines, we don't have to manufacture the ideal atmosphere for the World Cup because it comes naturally. There will be an authentic and very real basketball atmosphere in every arena, every cafe, every venue. One nation overjoyed that the world has come to the Philippines to share our love of the beautiful game of basketball.

That is our guarantee.

 

Basketball is a balance of so many things. Head and heart. Passion and capability. Experience and innovation. Heritage and smart technology.

 

Nothing demonstrates that more than this. It's a live feed that shows our hashtag #PUSO2019 is trending worldwide right now. Filipinos use social media more than any other nation on the planet and as you can see, the conversation has already started.

 

As tens of millions of Filipinos join in from around the world, it will become a phenomenon, creating a new generation of young fans interacting with our game.

 

Let me leave you with one final thought: The gift the Philippines will give to the World Cup through #PUSO2019 is an experience to remember and to share, globally, like never before.