Helping the Game to Grow Day One of the FIBA World Congress Saw an Amended Version of FIBA’S Statutes Approved Unanimously
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istanbul - Day tHREE - 5 SeptEmber 2010 Walk the talk panels preview lindsay gaze web record vidal reveals his all you need to know The man who GAme lovers flock nightmare moment ahead of today’s travelled “coach” to fiba world Page 2 major sessions Page 9 championship site Page 4 Page 12 Helping the game to grow Day One of the Fiba World Congress saw an amended version of Fiba’s statutes approved unanimously. One of the key changes to the statutes is the new mid-term Congress. While terms of office will remain the same – a four-year cycle – this mid-term Congress is similar to the regular one in every other way. Fiba secretary General and international Olympic Committee (iOC) member patrick baumann explained the thinking behind the new Congress cycle. “We took a decision some years back to strive for more efficient and better organised member federations. it started with giving them a manual outlining the key aspects for successful governance of their institutions,” he said. “the will and the work were there, but we realised that things were not moving as fast as they could. the contact with the federations and the interaction between them were still insufficient.” baumann points out that basketball is now progressing much faster than in the past. “things happen very rapidly so you need to be there to act and take decisions. With the past system if you missed one Congress, you were out for eight years. it made it virtually impossible to acquire and exchange the tools and “We took a decision know-how that is so crucial.” the idea is that with a some years back shorter period between Congresses, members will be to strive for more more aware of what is being discussed, will participate efficient and better in the debate and return organised member home to share the acquired knowledge. federations.” “We are not only talking about tools, but also about responsibilities. With increased awareness of the key issues you can better exercise your responsibility to shape the future of the federation Wheeler of fortune: The first time Dr and the game,” he added. Pratoom Muongmee came to Istanbul this can and should create a stronger bond between Fiba and its from his native Bangkok it took him national federations, baumann explained. 79 days. He cycled. For the 19th World “the competition cycle has not changed, this new two-year cycle on Congress he used more conventional an institutional level is proof of the growth of basketball, while it can also means of transport to satisfy his become a motor for the development of the game. Hopefully the mid-term two great passions – Istanbul and Congress will allow federations to become more active at all levels. if we basketball. Page 8. can do this we will help the game fulfil its huge potential for growth.” Eddy walks the talk FIBA Targets Solid progress towards goals Fiba secretary-General patrick baumann told delegates that 7: Harmonising the worldwide basketball calendar. Eddy Vidal. the organisation had achieved about 75% of the targets it had this remained one of the major problems facing the game. set for itself four years ago. a new balance had to be found between club seasons and it was every moderator’s nightmare. Faced in his report to the World Congress he detailed the current national team events, as there were still some problems with 12,000 disappointed basketball fans status of the 12 objectives that Fiba has been working to in over the availability of key players. this was particularly so whose much-fancied team had lost in the recent years. in relation to players in the nba. but he was sure a solution final, the Vips refused to present some of the would be found. medals. 1: Increasing the quality of the support offered to players, “i think that was the worst moment in my coaches and referees. 8: Providing assistance to develop facilities. career,” Eddy Vidal said yesterday of the 2007 there was no doubt the game had improved, he said. inter- this was moving ahead well. Eurobasket. “there were 12,000 fans who national federations were more active and arranging more thought their team was going to win only for tournaments, interacting with their local Olympic commit- 9: Introducing consistent worldwide standards of structure the team to lose by two points. people were tees and asking for more coaching clinics. and management. pretty upset as were the officials who were this covered areas such as sharing good practices and meant to present the silver and gold medals. 2: Having well-organised and efficient national member striking up links with local Olympic committees. He encour- “they refused to do it and left. Finally, we federations. aged delegates to talk to their local Olympic committees, got somebody to present them and i came up He appealed to national federations to put their databases particularly to ask about the possibility of funding for basket- with a way of making the announcement that in order. this was not only so Fiba had access to informa- ball projects. did not give the game away.” tion and statistics but so federations could use the data to Vidal does not expect any similar problems approach their governments to show basketball’s potential 10: Improving communications within the FIBA family. when he takes centre stage this morning as and seek financial support. Communications were moving steadily more on-line. moderator for the panel discussions taking place at the World Congress. 3: Increasing image awareness and the audience at the World 11: Defining the standard of organisation for events. He is in demand for work at everything from and Continental Championships. the opening ceremony and dinner of this World Congress corporate events to medical conferences but his the popularity of the sport could be seen in the growing had set great standards and the level of branding around first love remains basketball, which he played number of unique users on Fiba’s website. During the 2006 istanbul was “fantastic”. until injury ended his professional career. World Championship there were 12 million website users; Vidal moved from his native usa to spain that figure had been reached during this year’s preliminary 12: Generating adequate financial resources to develop bas- in order to play basketball. His current career rounds. and the number of Fiba sites had increased to 11. ketball worldwide. evolved out of doing simultaneous translation the number of global partners was growing, but more work. “i used to add in a lot more and it sort of 4: Increasing basketball’s entertainment value on television. were needed. licensing and merchandising was a complex grew from there.” this could be seen through the increasing number of open- process, but it was starting to show results. While he looked air fan zones in cities during major tournaments. forward to seeing this as a growing stream of income, more “There were 12,000 importantly he looked forward to seeing more ways of pro- 5: Attracting – and keeping – young players. moting the basketball family – through secondary branding fans who thought their He urged federations to prioritise under-17 and under-19 of individual national federations, for example. player categories and the new 3 on 3 version of the game. team was going to win baumann also encouraged delegates to read reports on zones only for the team to 6: Studying the possibility of introducing new world events. other than their own, so they could learn more and perhaps this had been partially achieved, he said. some events no discover common strategies and successes other zones had lose by two points.” longer existed but others had begun. the global economic situ- achieved in tackling challenges. ation was complicating efforts in this field at present, however. 2 EXTENDING OUR REACH - BASKETBALL THE GLOBAL SPORT 19th FIBA world congress President hails “historic” occasion the strength of support for this year’s of progress. this had been demon- enthusiasm in each of Fiba’s zones World Congress makes the 19th event strated at the beijing Olympics, where to conduct events for 16-year-olds “an historic occasion”, Fiba presi- basketball was the only one of the 28 to qualify for the next u17 event. the dent bob Elphinston said yesterday. sports on show to completely sell out girls’ u17 championships in Rodez speaking at the World Congress, he and where it got the biggest television and toulouse, in France, had also praised the turkish basketball Federa- audiences. demonstrated wonderful skills among tion for its efforts in mounting both the Worldwide, the Fiba family had the participants, he said. World Championship and the Congress. grown to 213 national federations. its With that in mind, the Fiba33 “We saw the best ever opening income over the past four years had tournament at the inaugural youth ceremony that we have ever seen,” increased by 52%, which was essen- Olympic Games. provided a great he told delegates. tial if the organisation was to have opportunity to attract more boys and “We have 174 national federations the necessary resources to grow the girls to the game. here and that makes it an historic game around the world. Elphinston said that a full report on occasion. i compliment the turkish and FIBA believed it could “dramati- the new Fiba ‘House of basketball’ basketball Federation which has cally increase” revenues out to 2022, at mies, switzerland, would be given been supported very strongly by the provided everyone worked together. by at tomorrow’s [subs – monday] national government of turkey and doing so, everyone could benefit.