In the basketball-crazed Philippines, the World Cup will be a shining moment
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Basketball’s World Cup starts on Friday, spread out over three nations. The Philippines, Japan and Indonesia all will be hosts. It’ll be centered in Manila. That’s where the medal rounds will be held in early September. That’s also where the favored U.S. team will play all its games in the event. Fans have been waiting for years for this chance at seeing some of the game’s biggest names competing in their city. The home nation has declared Friday a national holiday of sorts, closing schools and some businesses to mark the occasion of the tournament opening.