Health protocols force Philippines-Japan exhibition cancellation

Just as the world is close to returning to normalcy, there are still reminders that the pandemic is still prevalent.

Health and safety protocols have forced the cancellation of the exhibition men's volleyball match slated on Thursday, June 16, between Japan and the Philippines.

Called the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) International Challenge, it is a side event slated to take place at the Filoil Flying V Centre alongside the ongoing Volleyball Nations League at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

The NSA expressed their sincerest apologies to fans excited for the match with its sudden cancellation.

TicketNet is expected to make a corresponding announcement regarding refunds for those who made purchases for the cancelled match.

The Philippines is slated to have one more men's exhibition scheduled, against Germany on June 27 at 4pm. The women's exhibition netted straight sets losses for the Philippines against Thailand and Japan last week.

FIBA Basketball World Cup mascot unveiled

Get the chance to name the 2023 FIBA World Cup mascot

FIBA on late Thursday unveiled the mascot for the 2023 edition of the World Cup, one that has yet to be named.

The mascot is an offshoot of the shared vision between the three host countries: the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.

Three young fans from the host countries: Caloy (Philippines), Kota (Japan), and Dewi (Indonesia), met online and collaborated on a design that would represent the three hosts while also unite basketball fans worldwide.

The mascot is a robot programmed to be fun, friendly, and sporty. Armed with terrific dribbling skills and a supersonic dunk, it is set to promote next year's FIBA Basketball World Cup worldwide while sharing its love for basketball towards as many people as possible. Its face is an LED screen which would allow it to communicate in different languages, whilst being adorned by the colors of the hosts' flags.

At the same time, the mascot is geared towards environmental awareness, particularly about recycling, thanks to the hoop attached at the back of its head.

In a move to elicit fan participation, FIBA is having a naming competition for the mascot until June 30, with an official Molten ball up for grabs for the lucky winner. Once named, the mascot will travel across the three host nations to build up more attention for the competition.

Richard Carrion, Chairman of the Joint Management Committee for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 said: "This FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 will be a unique event, hosted for the first time by three nations, and we wanted a brand new concept for the mascot, not only to celebrate and entertain but also to carry a very important message in today's world."