MUNICH (Germany) - The 2023 FIBA Europe General Assembly, the annual event which brings together all European member federations of FIBA, convened in Munich, Germany, on Friday, May 19, 2023.

Outgoing FIBA Europe President Mr. Turgay Demirel chaired the session, with FIBA President Hamane Niang, FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis, FIBA Executive Director Europe/FIBA Europe Secretary General Kamil Novak and members of the FIBA Europe Board also in attendance.

Mr. Demirel leaves his post with the title of FIBA Europe Honorary President, after the Assembly accepted a proposal brought forward by FIBA and FIBA Europe.

In his last speech as President, Mr. Demirel looked back at his tenure, mentioning how FIBA Europe managed to successfully navigate the dangerous waves created by the COVID pandemic and the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, both events marking the biggest part of the calendar of the term of office 2019-23, and meaning that European basketball remained in constant crisis management mode for the last four years.

Mr. Demirel paid special tribute to Europe's flagship event, FIBA EuroBasket, which in 2022 saw one of its most successful and exciting editions of all times, with great results, attendances, and the best ever digital output. He also praised the efforts to bring women’s basketball to the next level, with a variety of development projects but mainly with FIBA Women’s EuroBasket that was organized in France and Spain in 2021 under difficult circumstances, albeit with great success and the EuroLeague Women, the "best women’s club competition without any doubt".

The FIBA Europe President also mentioned that he considers the support to grassroot projects as one the top achievements of his Presidency and the outgoing Board of FIBA Europe.

He concluded by urging all European basketball to focus on integrity while remaining united to achieve good things. "I now pass the torch to you to create a bright future for European basketball. Before I leave the stage after nine years as President, I'd like to extend my warmest gratitude to everyone who I have worked with in good and bad days."

Mr. Niang echoed Mr Demirel's comments about how the two major crises of the last four years challenged the prosperity of European basketball and how all stakeholders in Europe, with the help of FIBA stood in solidarity in such difficult times.

He also highlighted the efforts of all event organisers that managed to deliver, most importantly FIBA EuroBasket 2022, FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2021 as well as the upcoming one in 2023 and all the Youth Championships, during those last four challenging years.

In this intervention, Mr. Zagklis mentioned that the full tribunes from the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 in Australia and the constant rise of EuroLeague Women and the 3x3 Women's Series are the most recent reference about women’s basketball making great steps forward.

He reiterated that the mission of FIBA Europe and FIBA remains to protect the rights and wellbeing of the national federations, leagues and the clubs through the FIBA Europe club competitions and the Basketball Champions League and this can never be negotiable. The COVID pandemic was a stress test for the governance and finances of basketball, thanks to the instant but careful reaction by FIBA and FIBA Europe.

Mr. Novak presented the Assembly focusing on all FIBA Europe events and development projects for the last 12 months, including a wealth of important facts and figures.

The delegates were also presented with reports from the Finance, Competitions, Technical, Women's, Youth Commission and Small Countries Commission.

The President of IWBF Europe Walter Pfaller offered an overview of activities and an outlook of Wheelchair basketball, before Mrs. Monika Puchner rounded up the presentations part with the FIBA Europe Properties report.

The meeting concluded with the Assembly offering their full solidarity and support to Ukraine and a standing ovation to the Federation delegates present in the meeting.

The next session of the FIBA Europe General Assembly will take place in Croatia, in May 2024, while the 2025 event will be organized in Latvia.

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About FIBA
FIBA (fiba.basketball) - the world governing body for basketball - is an independent association formed by 212 National Basketball Federations throughout the world. It is recognized as the sole competent authority in basketball by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

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