They join China, Germany, France the Philippines and Turkey hoping to host FIBA's flagship men's event.

France and Germany could join together for a joint bid. 

Of those bidding, the Philippines hosted it in 1978, while Turkey staged it 2010 when the event was called the World Championships.

Turkey also staged the Women's World Championships earlier this year.

Turkey hosted a successful 2014 Women's World Championships, won by the United States, and is now bidding for the Men's World Cup in 2019 or 2023 ©Getty Images

The event, first held in Argentina in 1950, has never been staged in China, where the sport's popularity has grown considerably in the last decade.

The decision by Qatar to bid means they will be hoping to add the World Cup to the portfolio of events they have already been awarded recently.

These include next year's World Handball Championships, the 2016 International Cycling Union Road World Championships, the 2019 International Association of Association Federations World Championships and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

Earlier year Doha staged the the World Squash Championships and the FINA World Short-Course Swimming Championships

The host of the 2019 edition of the World Cup is due be decided FIBA's Central Board at its next meeting on June 18 and 19 next year.

Here, the Board could also decide which of the remaining countries is to stage the 2023 edition, or extend the bidding process.

"We are extremely pleased to announce that six countries have expressed their interest in host the biggest basketball tournament in the world," said FIBA secretary general and International Olympic Committee member Patrick Baumann.

"The commitment to growing basketball as well as to stage first-class sporting events is something they all have in common."

The United States go into the 2019 FIBA World Cup as two-time defending champions ©Getty Images



The 2019 FIBA world Cup will be the first to include the expanded 32 team format.

Qualification for the tournament will also take place under a new worldwide competition system which comes into effect in 2017 and involved nation's playing home and away games against one another.

The tournament is also the first to move outside of the previous four-year cycle, a decision made to move the competition outside of the FIFA World Cups four-year cycle.

All six nations will attend a workshop at FIBA's headquarters in Mies, Switzerland, on December 15 and 16 with site visits due to take place from early 2015.

The United States will come in to the 2019 World Cup as two-time defending champions, having beaten Serbia 129-92 in the final of the 2014 World Cup in Spain.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
December 2014: Israel launch bid to host 2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup
November 2014: Spain submits bid to host 2018 Women's Basketball World Cup
September 2014: United States successfully defend title to remain basketball world champions
August 2014: FIBA hopes to move flagship event out of FIFA World Cup shadow
August 2014: The FIBA Basketball World Cup - new brand, new beginning