UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK – The Philippines led the initiative at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to adopt a Resolution declaring December 21 as World Basketball Day.

The resolution was supported unanimously by all member countries of the UNGA.

Indonesia, Nicaragua, and Peru joined the Philippines in presenting the resolution, which was deliberated upon during the plenary session of the UN General Assembly.

A total of 77 countries co-sponsored the resolution.

In his opening speech, Philippine Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Antonio Lagdameo emphasized that basketball symbolizes unity and fosters connections among people from diverse origins, promoting global peace.

Lagdameo noted the timeliness of the resolution, coinciding with the commencement of the 2023 FIBA World Cup being held in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan. The opening ceremony was held on Friday at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.

“The adoption of the resolution is very timely, as the 2023 FIBA World Cup of Basketball has just started today, 25 August, in three major cities in Asia – Manila, Jakarta, and Tokyo. It is an honor for my own country, the Philippines, to host this global competition because basketball is in our national DNA,” Lagdameo said.

According to FIBA data, basketball is the most popular sport worldwide, and the first basketball game was played on December 21, 1891 at the YMCA International Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA.

Basketball has also been part of the Olympics since its introduction in the 1936 Berlin Games. —KG, GMA Integrated News