JAKARTA, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia, one of the three countries to host the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, will make preparations for the international tournament, including constructing world-standard venues and other infrastructure facilities, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Tuesday.
Indonesia has been appointed one of the co-hosts of the 19th men's tournament of FIBA Basketball World Cup.
"Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan were appointed the hosts of the 2023 FIBA World Cup. This is an international community's trust in us," President Jokowi, the popular name of the president, told a limited cabinet meeting on the international sports event at the presidential office.
The president ordered the authorities to prepare infrastructure facilities including venues with international standards, security and medical teams as well as setting up an organizing committee.
Jokowi insisted that the sports authority to prepare a tough national basketball team to compete in the forthcoming international sports event.
"I want a strong basketball team which can compete well in the sports event," he stressed.
Meanwhile, Indonesian Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali said that the government would construct a basketball venue to meet FIBA standards.
"So far, we have no venue with a world class standard. We have to build one with a world class capacity," he said.
On the same occasion, Head of the Indonesian Basketball Association Danny Kosasih said that he has received a permit from President Jokowi to set up a venue with a capacity of holding 15,000 to 20,000 spectators, exceeding the FIBA threshold of 8,000 people.
The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup which is scheduled to take place from September 1 to 17 will be the second tournament under the new cycle which commenced in 2019.
It is expected that there will be 32 teams to vie in the tournament, as announced in December 2017.
In June 2017, Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan were awarded the hosting rights for the tournament, winning over Argentina, Uruguay, Russia and Turkey. This will be the first World Cup hosted by multiple nations.
