MANILA, Philippines – Filipino fans can witness history as late basketball icon Carlos “Caloy” Loyzaga gets inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame.

Tickets are up for sale for the Hall of Fame ceremony to be held at Sofitel Manila on August 23, just two days before the FIBA World Cup – co-hosted by the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia – comes off the wraps on August 25.

It’s the first time FIBA decided to open the doors of the ceremony to the public. 

Known as “The Big Difference,” Loyzaga steered the Philippines to a bronze in the 1954 World Cup and four straight gold medals in the Asian Games.

Loyzaga, who died in 2016, will be enshrined posthumously as part of the 12-man Class of 2023, which includes Chinese basketball great Yao Ming.

Yao, now the president of the Chinese Basketball Association after an eight-year run with the Houston Rockets in the NBA, is expected to attend the event before he turns his focus supporting Team Dragons in the World Cup.

Bunched in Group B with Serbia, Puerto Rico, and South Sudan, China will play all of its group stage games at the Araneta Coliseum.

Other player inductees are USA’s Katrina McClain, Brazil’s Wlamir Marques, Spain’s Amaya Valdemoro, Japan’s Yuko Oga, Australia’s Penny Taylor, Indonesia’s Sonny Hendrawan, Angola’s Angelo Victoriano, and Georgia’s Zurab Sakandelidze (posthumously).

Coaches Valerie Garnier of France and Alessandro Gamba of Italy will also be feted.

Proceeds of the tickets, which cost $300 (nearly P17,000), will be donated to the FIBA Foundation’s Basketball For Good. – Rappler.com