November 20: At the press conference hosted in Beijing, representatives from the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the basketball sector of the China’s General Administration of Sport, the Chinese Basketball Association and other relevant organizations jointly kicked off the 2019 FIBA World Cup’s mascot design competition.
Reportedly, basketball fans in China will soon be able to submit their ideas for the mascot. The Top 10 proposals will be selected and presented at a selection ceremony, organized next January by Wanda Themed Entertainment, a subsidiary company of Wanda Group, in Wuhan, Hubei Province. In February, the final mascot design will be officially unveiled to the public in Dongguan, Guangdong Province.
This official mascot is regarded as the global asset representing the FIBA World Cup’s image and is expected to act as an important tool in promoting this premier international basketball tournament.
This is the first time that the FIBA World Cup will be hosted in China. It is said to be the most influential international sports tournament to have landed in China apart from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.
From August 31 to September 15, 2019, the tournament will take place in 8 Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Nanjing, Foshan and Dongguan.
Source: NetEase
Proofread by Raymond Fitzpatrick