GENEVA (FIBA Central Board) - The FIBA Central Board met yesterday, Saturday 8th December, and today, Sunday 9th December, for its 3rd Session of the 2006-2010 Term of Office in Chicago, USA.

The meeting of the Central Board was organized in cooperation with USA Basketball, with the assistance of the United States Olympic Committee and World Sport Chicago, and featured the presence of the leaders from the NBA, the NCAA and of the host national federation, USA Basketball.
   
NBA Commissioner David J. Stern, NCAA President Myles Brand and USA Basketball President and FIBA Central Board member Val Ackerman all participated in phases of the meeting, accompanied by their respective top executive officers. Mr. Stern, Mr. Brand and Ms. Ackerman provided presentations on their organizations and participated in very productive debates with the FIBA Central Board members.

The working sessions with the NBA and the NCAA have been regarded by the FIBA Central Board as another very positive step in a long and fruitful collaboration with these two prestigious basketball organisations operating in the USA. Indeed, the presence of the NBA and the NCAA at the FIBA Central Board meeting is unmistakable proof of the continuous willingness of all parties involved to work together on many future initiatives and projects for the growth of basketball.

Below are some of the issues discussed and some of the decisions taken by the FIBA Central Board, which concluded its meeting on Sunday evening.

1.    FIBA 2010 World Championship for Women to take place in the Czech Republic

The Central Board has decided that the FIBA 2010 World Championship for Women will take place in the cities of Ostrava and Brno (Czech Republic), from 23rd September to 3rd October 2010. Four initial candidatures were received (Australia, France, Latvia and Czech Republic), but, during the course of the bidding process, the first three withdrew.

2.    FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament to take place in Greece

The Central Board decided that the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men will take place, from 14th to 20th July 2008, in Athens, Greece, in the 18.000-seat OAKA Sports Arena located in Maroussi.

The remaining three men's berths for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will be decided in this 12-team FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament that will feature the following participants: Brazil, Cape Verde, Canada, Cameroon, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Korea, Lebanon, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and Slovenia.

The following nine teams have already booked their tickets for the Olympic Basketball Tournament for Men that will take place in Beijing, China, from 10th to 24th August 2008: Angola, Argentina, Australia, China, Iran, Lithuania, Russia, Spain and USA.

The draw that will determine the composition of the four groups of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men will take place on 31st January 2008 in Athens, Greece.

For further information on the system of competition of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men, please refer to Press Release # 53 or to the following link:

http://www.fiba.basketball/pages/eng/fc/news/presRele/p/newsid/22428/presReleArti.html

3.    FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women to take place in Spain

The Central Board decided that the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women will take place in Madrid, Spain, in the 10.500-seat Telefónica Arena, from 9th to 15th June 2008.
 
The remaining five women's berths for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will be decided in this 12-team FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women that will feature the following participants: Angola, Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, Chinese Taipei, Cuba, Czech Republic, Fiji, Japan, Latvia, Senegal and Spain.

The following seven teams have already booked their tickets for the Olympic Basketball Tournament for Women that will take place in Beijing, China, from 9th to 23rd August 2008: Australia, China, Korea, Mali, New Zealand, Russia and USA.

The draw that will determine the composition of the four groups of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women will take place on 14th January 2008 in the Meliá Castilla Hotel, in Madrid (Spain).

For further information on the system of competition of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women, please refer to Press Release # 50 or to the following link:

http://www.fiba.basketball/pages/eng/fc/news/presRele/p/newsid/22284/presReleArti.html

4.    FIBA Diamond Ball for Men to take place in Nanjing City, China, from 29th July to 1st August 2008
 
The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) has been entrusted with the organization of the next edition of the FIBA Diamond Ball for Men. This invitational tournament will take place from 29th July to 1st August 2008, a few days before the beginning of the Beijing Olympic Games, in the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center in Nanjing City (Jiangsu Province), China. The winners of all continental championships and the host country will be invited to participate: Angola, Argentina, Australia, China, Iran and Russia.

5.    FIBA Diamond Ball for Women to take place from 2nd to 5th August 2008 in Asia

The FIBA Diamond Ball for Women will be played from 2nd to 5th August 2008. The exact location of the tournament, in the Asian continent, will be known by the end of January 2008. The invited teams will be Australia, China, Korea, Mali, Russia and USA.

6.    Approval of the FIBA 33 concept for its possible inclusion in the 1st Summer Youth Olympic Games

Subject to the IOC's decisions on athlete numbers, the FIBA Central Board agreed on the concept of the FIBA 33, a 3-on-3 tournament envisioned for its possible inclusion in the 1st Summer Youth Olympic Games that will take place in August 2010 and that will feature the participation of young players.

The Central Board decided that this concept and its related forms will be developed in order to attract young players and promote basketball to a wider community of youngsters.

Following the initial very successful Test Event held in Macau in November 2007, further Test Events will most likely be held in the Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia and Switzerland in 2008.

7.    FIBA Europe and ULEB

The Central Board received with concern the report by the FIBA Secretary General on the latest developments in the relationship between FIBA Europe and ULEB and urges the parties to find a common framework of co-operation prior to its next meeting in April 2008.

8.    Progress report from the FIBA 2010 World Championship in Turkey

The Turkish Basketball Federation presented a complete report on the progresses of the next FIBA World Championship which will take place in Turkey in the summer of 2010.

The Central Board was pleased with the progress made to date, but urges the Turkish Basketball Federation and the responsible authorities to accelerate the finalization of the venue plans.

9.    Future FIBA headquarters

FIBA Secretary General and IOC member Patrick Baumann reported on the various progresses as with regards to the establishment of FIBA's own and permanent headquarters in Switzerland. The Central Board approved in principle the setting up of a FIBA Foundation to support this project.

10.    Opening of the bidding process for the FIBA 2014 World Championship

The FIBA Central Board decided to open the bidding process for the 2014 World Championship for Men. All National Federations interested in hosting FIBA's premier championship in 2014 will be required to send their letters of interest to FIBA by 30th April 2008. The complete bidding process will end when the Central Board decides the host during its meeting of April 2009.

11.    Markus Studer, new Chief Operating Officer of FIBA as of March 2008

Markus Studer, former Deputy Chief Executive of the UEFA, will become FIBA's Chief Operating Officer as from 1st March 2008. The 51 year-old Swiss layer spent the last 19 years in UEFA and brings great wealth of experience in international sports management to the International Basketball Federation.

12.    Next FIBA Central Board meeting in Beijing, on 25th and 26th April 2008

Upon invitation of the Chinese Basketball Association, the next meeting of the FIBA Central Board will be held in Beijing, on the 25th and 26th of April 2008. This will ensure that all FIBA Central Board members attend both the Beijing 2008 Basketball Test Event for Women and the Draw for the 2008 Olympic Basketball Tournaments.

Please be reminded that the Beijing 2008 Basketball Test Event for Women will take place from 19th to 26th April 2008 in the Olympic basketball venue, the brand new Wukesong Indoor Stadium, and will feature the participation of the national teams of Australia, China, Cuba, Korea, New Zealand and the USA. The Draw for the 2008 Olympic Basketball Tournaments will be staged as well on 26th April 2008, in the above-mentioned Wukesong Indoor Stadium.

The meeting of the FIBA Central Board (4th Session of the 2006-2010 Term of Office) in China will take decisions as with regards to the hosts of the 2009 U19 FIBA World Championship for Men (candidatures from Bahrain and New Zealand) and the 2009 U19 FIBA World Championship for Women (candidatures from Costa Rica, Romania and Thailand).
 
 
About FIBA

FIBA (www.fiba.basketball), the world governing body for basketball, is an independent association formed by 213 National Federations of basketball throughout the world. It is recognised as the sole competent authority in basketball by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Its main upcoming events are the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments for Men and Women (to take place in the summer of 2008) that will decide the final berths for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the FIBA World Championships for Men and Women, held every four years. The 2010 FIBA World Championship will be played in Turkey.