The 2010 FIBA World Championship opened up in Istanbul on Friday evening.

This is the most prominent sporting event Turkey has hosted in its history, which was repeated by both FIBA President Bob Elphinston and Turkish Basketball Federation President Turgay Demirel.

"This is a historic moment," Demirel presented opening words at Friday's ceremony, which was held in Istanbul's Sinan Erdem Arena and attended by thousands.

The ceremony was simultaneously broadcast on 172 different stations worldwide, and featured a performance by internationally recognized troupe Cirque du Soleil right after opening speeches.

The rest of the evening featured performances by Turkish singers and dance groups, including the Fire of Anatolia dance troupe which performed its renowned Troy performance, as well as Greece's Harris Alexiou who performed a duet with Turkey's Sezen Aksu.

FIBA President Bob Elphinston thanked Turkey and the government for its preparation for the event, expressing his certainty that " Turkey will deliver".

The 2010 FIBA World Championship will take place simultaneously in four Turkish cities, Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Kayseri, between Aug. 28 and Sept. 12.

Around 350,000 people are expected to attend the championship. The first round of the championship, which is returning to Europe for the first time in 12 years, will feature basketball stars such as Boris Diaw, Carlos Arroyo and Anderson Varejao.

However, several other superstars including Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki will miss this year's tournament.

Meanwhile 2010 FIBA World Championship souvenirs are now being sold in stores. The marketing manager of FIBA, Ana Brito, said they have created a wide range of products, including T-shirts, scarves, hats, key chains, badges, jerseys and much more, to promote the national teams.

Brito announced that these products are available in stores such as Boyner, Intersport, Barcin Sports, Carrefour and TESCO.

According to Brito, exhibition stands will be set up at the tournaments offering FIBA merchandise. She emphasized that the products should be affordable for everyone and therefore prices are fixed and cannot exceed 30 Lira (about 20 US dollars).