For the second straight World Cup, no team from Asia or Africa made the TOP 16, including the two host countries. As the gap between those continents and the rest of the world is widening, BasketNews explores the reasons behind a worrisome trend.
Credit: FIBA
When FIBA announced that the Philippines would be among the hosts of the 2023 World Cup, a big part of fans and media alike were thrilled that a basketball-crazy nation would get the chance to experience the big event first-hand.
At the same time, the Philippines, alongside co-hosts Japan, cherished hopes of making (at least) the Round of 16. In order to do so, they would need to get two wins in the first group stage. However, it all went downhill from there.
