Jakarta, IO – Celebrity Raffi Ahmad, owner of the “RANSPIK” debutante basketball club, marked with recent success in the Indonesian Basketball League playoffs, has been selected as the FIBA World Cup 2023 Local Ambassador.
For the first time ever, the World Cup is being held in three countries: the Philippines, Japan, and this country, where the Indonesia Arena, Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex, Senayan, Jakarta is hosting the event. FIBA selected Raffi out of several Local Ambassador Candidates submitted by Indonesia. Chairman of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Joint Management Committee Cahyadi Wanda, declared that “An Ambassador for this event must have a favorable public image, a strong love of and attachment to basketball, and a sufficiently large fanbase. FIBA has thus coordinated with local organizers, and decided on Raffi as the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Local Ambassador after multiple stages of selection,” he said.
Raffi will not be receiving any payment whatsoever for his work as the Local Ambassador. “I will do anything to uphold the reputation of the Red and White. I am so honored – I newly joined Indonesian basketball, and I am not a player, but I was appointed a Local Ambassador,” he said during the FIBA World Cup 2023 press conference in Senayan, Jakarta, last Thursday (25 August 2022). “I don’t need to think long or hard to accept the request to become the Event’s Local Ambassador. After all, all Indonesian citizens want to contribute to the glory of their country. Furthermore, this is my opportunity to learn more about basketball,” he said.
Raffi commenced his duties as Local Ambassador during the “A Year’s Countdown Start to the FIBA World Cup 2023” event at the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout, Jakarta, last Sunday (28 August 2022) . Supporting him, FIBA Central Board Member Erick Thohir, Chairman of FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Richard Carrion, FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Executive Director David Crocker, and General Chairman of the Indonesia Basketball Association’s Central Management Danny Kosasih also attended the event.