MANILA (Philippines) - The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Trophy Tour presented by J9 has been launched as part of the Draw Festival and will now see the trophy visit all qualified countries. 

Legendary Argentina star Luis Scola and the Gilas Ambassadors from the 2013/14 Philippines men's basketball team promoted the Trophy on stage at the Festival alongside many exciting fan engagements. Paraded on the 'Trophy Float'  through the streets en route to the Araneta Coliseum, it received the VIP red carpet treatment ahead of its handover from the 2019 winning team at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Draw, presented by Wanda.

The Trophy Tour sees the FIBA Basketball World Cup Naismith Trophy - named in honor of basketball's inventor, Dr. James Naismith - embark on a journey across the globe for the second time. It will make stops in 30 nations qualified for the showpiece event before coming back to the host countries, starting with Japan in mid-July, followed by Indonesia, and finally, the Philippines.

The Trophy Tour is presented by J9, a FIBA Global Partner providing world-class gaming experience. J9 aims to bring the excitement of the FIBA Basketball World Cup and to promote basketball globally and will use its portal J9.basketball to bring to fans around the world all the latest news and updates of the Tour, with exclusive content.

"It's an honor for J9 to be the presenter of the Trophy Tour," enthused J9 Managing Director James Chen said.

"We look forward to bringing excitement to fans all around the world and especially to the qualified countries of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023."

Frank Leenders, Director General of FIBA Media and Marketing Services, emphasized the importance of the Trophy Tour and stated: "The Trophy Tour is also an important opportunity to grow even more interest in the tournament and also in basketball more generally worldwide. It increases the excitement for fans and the media, with our presenting partner J9 able to create more visibility and awareness of their own brand."

FIBA has appointed XYZ, an award-winning, independent brand experience agency based in London, to assist with the production and logistics of the Tour.

Click here for more information on the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Trophy Tour, presented by J9. 

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About the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 
The 19th edition of FIBA's flagship event, the FIBA Basketball World Cup, will take place for the first time across three host nations in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia from August 25 to September 10.   

For further information about the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, visit www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023 or follow the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.