RABAT – After weeks of deadlock the Royal Moroccan Basketball Federation (RMBF) has rescheduled its annual General Assembly which will elect its new president on 24th February.

Beyond the election poll, the Men’s national championship is expected to start this weekend, a positive sign for a team that has booked a place at this year’s Afrobasket.

In the past eight weeks RMBF and a number of discontent local clubs parted ways for alleged technical and administrative reasons causing an impasse in the national league.

The country’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Mohammed Ouzzine, was called to mediate the impasse.

Following last week’s meeting held at the Morocco Olympic Committee (MOC) headquarter, parts involved agreed to create a temporary committee.

Noureddine Benabdenbi (MOC), Amar Fuad (RMBF acting president), clubs officials and Azeroual Mustapha (Ministry of Sports and Youth) form the new national governing body for basketball which will run the game in the country until the RMBF elections later this month.

Mohamed Berrada Abderrahmane, a former RMBF president, is a supporter of the new committee.

Last December, he said: “It (Committee) will proceed for a limited period to restore power between the parties, and to implement the values of sport.

“All stakeholders have responded positively to my call for dialogue, because I want to emphasize again that the current leaders as those who oppose them are people worthy of consideration and respect.”

The national league will include the following ten teams: Sports Plazza Casablanca, Wyadad Athletic Club, Cercle Municipal Casablanca, Maghreb de Fes, AS Sale, RS Berkane, CRA Hoceima, RS Tanger, FUS Rabat and Mouloudia Oujda.

In meantime, over 6800 students are expected to take part in the second edition of National School TIBU Morocco Tour, an initiative of the RMBF, a group of students and the Ministry of Sports and Youth.

The event aims to promote the values of basketball, educational and humanitarian engagement.

The event runs from 6 to 23 February and is visiting 19 cities and villages in the country.

FIBA