Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 31. On the first anniversary of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, FIBA Secretary General Andrea Zaglis, Director of the Basketball Management Center of the State Sports General Administration of China Wang Xuan and Chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association Yao Ming jointly delivered a speech on the 31st to express his gratitude for the largest Basketball World Cup in history.
Zagres first greeted his friends in China, "Without your hard work and selfless dedication, it would be unimaginable to host such a highly anticipated Basketball World Cup."
The picture shows that on August 30, 2019, Yao Ming, chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association, escorted the World Cup championship trophy into the venue at the opening ceremony of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Shen Hong
"On behalf of FIBA, please allow me to express my gratitude to our friends in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan and Dongguan. Today, we are not just celebrating the Basketball World Cup. The anniversary is also a celebration of basketball’s return to China and the world,” Zaglis said.
From August 31 to September 15, 2019, the FIBA Basketball World Cup (including the predecessor World Championship) was held in China for the first time. 32 teams held 92 exciting and fierce competitions in 8 cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Shenzhen, Foshan and Dongguan. More than 600,000 spectators and hundreds of millions of fans around the world enjoyed the 15 days of fun together. A feast of basketball.
In terms of broadcasting and networking, the 2019 Basketball World Cup reached a record-breaking 3 billion TV viewers, and the videos on social media were played more than 1.5 billion times.
Wang Xuan, then executive vice chairman and secretary-general of the 2019 Basketball World Cup Organizing Committee, said: "Looking back on our entire preparation and hosting process, we would like to thank all the competition teams, fans, and the governments and participants of the eight host cities . Through hosting games, we have developed a deep friendship with FIBA, and we are even more grateful for FIBA’s support and concern for Chinese basketball.”
Wang Xuan said that as the epidemic situation continues to improve, we hope to use the help of FIBA. In anticipation of the 2019 Basketball World Cup, Dongfeng will hold more competitions, training and other activities to allow everyone to participate extensively and share the joy of basketball.
The picture shows on September 8, 2019, Chinese Basketball Association Chairman Yao Ming (right) communicated with Chinese team head coach Li Nan after a game at the Basketball World Cup. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Pan Yulong
Yao Ming, then executive vice chairman of the 2019 Basketball World Cup Organizing Committee, said that on the first anniversary of the event, I wish everyone will continue to enjoy the happiness brought by basketball in the days to come.
It is reported that commemorative activities related to the first anniversary of the 2019 Basketball World Cup will be held in the near future. FIBA stated that it will continue to be committed to making good use of the legacy of the Basketball World Cup to promote the continuous improvement of the level of Chinese basketball.
Chinese editor: Zheng Zhi
New media editor: Zhao Jiantong
Issuing by: Liang Jinxiong
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