BEIJING (China) – The Class of 2019 was officially inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame today during a ceremony held in Beijing, as part of the XXI FIBA Congress. 

11 world-class basketball personalities, eight players and three coaches, were recognized in the ceremony held at the Sheraton Grand Beijing Dongcheng Hotel. 

FIBA President Horacio Muratore said, "We are very proud to welcome all of these great basketball personalities into FIBA's Hall of Fame. Their contributions on and off the court have helped impact our sport in the most positive way imaginable. Through their achievements, dedication and countless efforts, they have also assisted basketball’s growth across the world. My sincere congratulations go to them all for receiving this well-deserved honor."

The Class of 2019 is made up of:

Ms Janeth Arcain from Brazil        
Ms Margo Dydek (posthumously) from Poland                          
Mr Atanas Golomeev from Bulgaria        
Ms Natália Hejková from Slovakia  
Mr Zuoyun Mou (posthumously) from China                                
Mr Alonzo Mourning from the USA                  
Mr Fabricio Oberto from Argentina   
Mr José "Piculín" Ortiz from Puerto Rico
Mr Bogdan Tanjević from Montenegro
Mr Mohsen Medhat Warda from Egypt   
Mr Jiří Zídek from the Czech Republic                

The ceremony was attended by Janeth Arcain, Atanas Golomeev, Alonzo Mourning, Fabricio Oberto, Jose "Piculin" Ortiz, Mohsen Medhat Warda, Natalia Hejkova and Bogdan Tanjevic.

Jan Zidek attended the ceremony for his father Jiri Zidek, who was unable to attend. Margo Dydek was represented by her sister Katarzyna Dydek and her family, and Mou Zuoyun was represented by his daughter Mou Yili.

Upon receiving the first Hall of Fame Award for 2019 Janeth Arcain said, "This is a unique and magnificent moment for me. I came from a poor background in Brazil with no expectations, but basketball formed my life. I would like to thank FIBA for this recognition and for allowing me to be with the best athletes in the world, in the Hall of Fame Class of 2019." 

Alonzo Mourning said during the ceremony, "This has been an amazing journey and I am very proud to be part of such an amazing game that has stretched across so many borders and affected so many lives, around the globe.  I had no idea that a round ball could produce endless opportunities for me. I salute my fellow honourees here today. It really is an accolade to be associated with such an esteemed and respected group of professionals."

The FIBA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony for the Class of 2019 is available on YouTube.  

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About the FIBA Hall of Fame
The primary goal of the FIBA Hall of Fame is to reflect the history of the sport and its personalities. The key criterion for selection into the FIBA Hall of Fame is an outstanding achievement at the international level and contribution to the development of basketball. The FIBA Hall of Fame was officially inaugurated on March 1, 2007.

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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 recognized as the sole competent authority in basketball by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

For further information about FIBA, visit fiba.basketball or follow FIBA on facebook.com/fiba, twitter.com/fiba,  instagram.com/fiba and youtube.com/fiba.