Philippines joined by Italy, Dominican Republic, Angola in Group A after FIBA World Cup Draw

The Philippines will be joined by Italy, Dominican Republic, and Angola in the group stage of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

The draw was held on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

From 32 countries, eight groups of four will be held and divided into the three host countries Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.

Four groups will play in the country, with Groups A and B at the Big Dome, while Groups C and D will be held at the Mall of Asia Arena. Two of Group A’s matches will be played at the Philippine Arena.

Group E and F will play at the Okinawa Arena in Japan while G and H will be hosted in the Indonesia Arena.

#FIBAWC draw results @gmasportsph pic.twitter.com/9CR8B8Ocou

— JK Carandang (@jk_carandang) April 29, 2023

Group A will be composed of the Philippines along with Italy, Dominican Republic, and Angola. In Group B, South Sudan, Serbia, Japan, and China will play at the Big Dome.

The United States will play their group stage matches in the country as part of Group C, which also includes Jordan, Greece and New Zealand.

The Mall of Asia Arena will also host Group D which is composed of Egypt, Mexico, Montenegro, and Lithuania.

Group E will have basketball powerhouses Germany, Australia, and co-host country Japan, along with Finland, while Group F will see Slovenia, Cape Verde, Georgia, and Venezuela at the Okinawa Arena.

Co-host Indonesia will host Group G which has Iran, Spain, Cote d’ Ivoire, and Brazil, and Group H with Canada, Latvia, Lebanon, and France.

Basketball legends Luis Scola and Dirk Nowitzki led the draw proper, along with local ambassadors such as Catriona Gray and LA Tenorio.

During the show, Filipino stars Sarah Geronimo and Billy Crawford provided entertainment, while rapper and singer Saweetie performed in the draw proper.

The Philippines, alongside Japan and Indonesia, will host the biggest basketball event of the year which will be played from August 25 to September 10.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News