Jakarta. The total number of spectators at the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Jakarta exceeded 111,000 during the 20 matches held at the newly-built Indonesia Arena indoor stadium from August 25 to September 3.

Indonesia is co-hosting this prestigious basketball tournament alongside the Philippines and Japan.

The Philippine Arena set a crowd record with 38,115 attendees during the opening day when the host team faced the Dominican Republic. This marks the highest attendance for a single game in World Cup history.

According to an AP report, the previous attendance record of 32,616 was set on August 14, 1994, when the U.S. defeated Russia 137-91 in the gold-medal game of the tournament, then called the FIBA World Championship, at SkyDome in Toronto.

However, Indonesian State-Owned Enterprise Minister Erick Thohir claimed that the overall attendance at the Jakarta stadium during the group stages surpassed that of its Japanese and Philippine counterparts.

"The total number of stadium attendees reached 111,000, making it the highest in the history of Indonesian basketball. It's also the largest crowd compared to the games played in Japan and the Philippines," Erick said on Sunday.

He said the World Cup provides Indonesia with positive global exposure, with all matches being broadcast live worldwide.

"FIBA officials have also praised Indonesia for the successful organization of the qualifiers," added Erick, who has served on the FIBA Central Board for two terms.

The Jakarta fixtures featured the performances of reigning champion Spain, Brazil, Canada, Cote d’Ivoire, France, Iran, Latvia, and Lebanon in Groups G and H.

Latvia became the first team from the Jakarta qualifying round to advance to the quarterfinals, concluding the group stage with a 104-84 win over Brazil.

Canada reached the top eight for the first time since 1994 after defeating Spain 88-85 in their final Second Round matchup on Sunday evening. This marks the first time Spain has missed the World Cup quarterfinals since 1994.

Other quarterfinalists include the United States, Italy, Germany, Lithuania, Serbia, and Slovenia.

The Indonesia Arena, built in just 18 months, has a capacity of 16,000. It is situated within the 279-hectare Bung Karno sports complex, the largest multi-purpose and integrated sports area in Southeast Asia.

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