The Philippine women's national football team. PWNFT Media.
MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine women's national football team will be based in Auckland, New Zealand for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023.
This was announced on Monday after FIFA confirmed team base camps (TBCs) for all competing squads in next year's showpiece event in New Zealand and Australia.
While the Filipinas will be playing their first two matches in Dunedin and Wellington, respectively, their TBC is in Auckland where they are playing their last match of the group stage.
This is the first time that competing countries will have dedicated TBCs in the FIFA Women's World Cup. The TBC will serve as the "home away from home" for the teams, and will include a training site and accommodations.
The Filipinas will have Olympic Park as a training site and the Movenpick Hotel Auckland as their official TBC hotel in their first-ever participation in the tournament.
The Filipinas face Switzerland in Dunedin on July 21, before battling New Zealand at Wellington Regional Stadium on July 25. The team will need to take a two-hour flight from Auckland to play in Dunedin, while it takes an hour to fly from Auckland to Wellington.
The Filipinas' last match of the group stage is slated on July 30 against Norway in Eden Park. There will still be venue specific training sites and venue specific hotels in addition to the TBCs.
There will be 29 base camps across Australia and New Zealand.
FIFA chief women's football officer Sarai Bareman said that the addition of TBCs at the FIFA Women's World Cup for the first time will ensure that teams and players are provided with the best possible platform to perform at their peak.
"Our mission for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 is to go ‘Beyond Greatness', and to do that we must provide elite environments for the 32 teams to train, rest and recover," Bareman said.
"With great support from our host countries, governments, and the host cities, FIFA will provide each team with the best training and preparation environment possible, enabling them to focus on their performances at the tournament while at the same time offering them the chance to connect with people and communities where they are based."
"FIFA is committed to enhancing the standards and conditions for teams at each FIFA Women's World Cup, and the introduction of dedicated team base camps is a clear demonstration of that commitment and our drive to grow and develop women's football."
Australia and New Zealand 2023 will be the first FIFA Women's World Cup to be co-hosted, the first to be held in the Southern Hemisphere and the first with 32 teams – up from 24 in 2019.
Tickets for the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 are currently on sale at www.fifa.com/tickets.
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