MIES - Sporting authorities from Mexico last week met with FIBA representatives at the House of Basketball to set out the work the Mexican Basketball Federation (ADEMEBA) must carry out in order to properly control the sport in the country.

Modesto Robledo, the President of ADEMEBA, Alfredo Castillo, the Director of Mexican state authorities in charge of sport (CONADE), and Felipe Munoz, the former President of Mexico's Olympic Committee (COM), headed the Mexican delegation that held talks with FIBA President Horacio Muratore and FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann on Thursday 14 April at FIBA's headquarters.

FIBA suspended ADEMEBA last November due to long-lasting institutional issues affecting them. Among other things, ADEMEBA was not recognised as the national governing body for basketball in the country by the Mexican state authorities in charge of sport (CONADE).

In January, FIBA's Executive Committee lifted the suspension but indicated that a working group must be created to oversee the evolution of the situation and ensure that the national federation is capable of putting in place the necessary reforms that will enable it to govern basketball in Mexico, within the confines of a unified family and to be recognised by all sports instances, Olympic and at state level. The working group would also initiate the necessary reforms to ensure that ADEMEBA or a new federation in its place would be in a position to face the challenges that lie ahead, in particular in light of FIBA's new competition system which comes into effect in November 2017.

The participants reiterated the need for the basketball family in Mexico to be unified by having a strong national governing body that stands for all of the stakeholders (players, coaches, official, clubs, leagues, provincial associations) and is capable of governing the sport.

The four parties - FIBA, ADEMEBA, CONADE and COM - officially signed an agreement announcing the implementation of a Task Force called 'Comision para la transformacion y el fortalecimiento integral del basquetbol'. Representatives from each of the parties will sit on the Task Force and be joined by other personalities who will bring their expertise and experience as well as their impartiality in order to implement the reforms needed, which should result in holding new democratic elections and putting in place a more representative, modern and efficient organisation.  

FIBA