TENERIFE, Spain (FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018) - Jorge Garbajosa, President of the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB), and Spanish artist David Rodríguez Caballero on Wednesday revealed the medals which will be given to players and teams finishing on the podium at the upcoming FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018.

David Rodríguez Caballero and Jorge Garbajosa presented the medals on Wednesday

Garbajosa said: "We thank David Rodríguez Caballero for gifting us this piece of art, the medals of our competition. We are so close to the start of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018 and it's time to appreciate the team effort of all involved in the organisation in order to have the best Women's World Cup ever.

"To have an internationally renowned artist like David giving his work to the players is another example of the huge importance this World Cup has for Spain. We're going to host the best World Cup ever."

Rodriguez Caballero said: "I'm very grateful to FEB for giving me the opportunity to design these medals. It's an honor and a pleasure to carry out this work because it has given me the chance to get closer to the spirit of this wonderful sport and to this historical Spanish team. As an artist it's wonderful to contribute to the sport and to the role that women have in our society.

"This collaboration with FEB could not have a commercial dimension and, consequently, I decided to donate my work to help basketball and its development. With this initiative, two apparently different forms come together as they did in China and Greece thousands of years ago. When I received the proposal to work on this project, I was preparing my exhibition at the Esteban Vicente Museum of Segovia, and inside of it, the allegory of the cardinal virtues. At that moment I realized that those values - strength, temperance, prudence and justice – are the same as the ones of our beloved sport. So I designed a clean, simple, balanced and dynamic medal, which incorporates the beat of the game and the power of the material."

Rodríguez Caballero is a sculptor originally from Pamplona and based in New York. He has won prizes and awards in various contests in Europe, America and Asia. FEB called on him to come up with a series of medals inspired by women's basketball. Click here to find out more.

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About FIBA
FIBA (fiba.basketball) - the world governing body for basketball - is an independent association formed by 213 National Basketball Federations throughout the world. It is recognised as the sole competent authority in basketball by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

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