The Macron the Hero is ready to take to the court alongside Italy e Georgia to the Men’s Basketball World Cup FIBA 2023 which will take place from tomorrow, 25 August, until 10 September, in an edition featuring three host nations: the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan. There will be 32 teams divided into 8 groups, with the top two from each group progressing to the next stage of a World Cup that will ultimately award seven places (of which two are for Europe) for the Paris Olympic Games. The year 2023 and a world championship are set to provide a prestigious platform in the world of basketball for Macron, who in recent months has launched partnerships with both national teams that will take part in the tournament wearing ‘Hero’, namely the Italian Basketball Federation and the Georgian Basketball Federation.

The’Italy, which will play the first round in the Philippines, has been drawn in Group A alongside the Philippines, the Dominican Republic and Angola; Gianmarco Pozzecco’s Azzurri will make their debut against the African side on 25 August at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila. This marks the Italian national team’s tenth appearance at the World Cup, with their best result coming in the 1978 edition – held in the Philippines – where they narrowly missed out on a podium finish, finishing in fourth place. Captain Datome and his team-mates are ready to give it their all to reach that podium – a place they missed by a mere second in the bronze medal play-off, which they lost at the final buzzer to the Brazilian side featuring Marcel De Souza and Oscar Schmidt.

For the Georgia This, however, marks their very first appearance in the knockout stages of a Basketball World Cup. The red-and-white national team, coached by the Greek Ilias Zouros, will play their opening matches in Japan and have been drawn in Group F alongside Slovenia, Cape Verde and Venezuela. Their opening match is on Saturday 26 August at the Okinawa Arena against Cape Verde. The Georgians are a top-class basketball side who demonstrated the full quality of their players during the qualifying rounds. This is their first appearance at a World Cup, but they have featured in each of the last five editions of the European Championships.

Macron provides its two national teams with kits that represent the pinnacle of technical excellence and deliver outstanding performance. Made from fabrics Eco Fabric, made from 100% polyester derived from recycled plastic, are crafted with attention to detail and feature a unique design. They convey a sense of belonging to their colours and history, alongside passion, commitment and a winning spirit, as well as a sensitivity to sustainability issues and respect for the environment.

“We are proud to be the technical partners of two national teams representing their countries at the most prestigious event in the world of basketball. – he declared Gianluca Pavanello, CEO of Macron – We wish them the very best of luck in achieving the best possible result, and I am certain that the values and meaning embodied in Macron Hero will guide and inspire them on this World Cup adventure”.