ABIDJAN - A delegation consisting of staff from FIBA's Regional Office in Africa and from the headquarters in Switzerland visited the National Federations of Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal between 18-22 April to discuss the implementation of the new competition system that will come into effect in 2017.

During a three-day workshop (18-20 April) in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, FIBA Competitions and Sports Director Predrag Bogoslavjev explained how this system will be implanted.

The delegation then travelled to Dakar where it met with official of the Senegal Basketball Federation on 21-22 April.

Bogoslavjev presented opportunities of the new competition system and the support that will be provided to the National Federations to make this become true.

FIBA Regional Director Africa Alphonse Bile said: "National federations can take benefits from this new system on the only condition that they begin to work as professional unit."

Under the right circumstances, the revolutionary system and accompanying calendar will enable Africa's basketball federations to build competitive national teams and make the sport more popular.

"The national team is the locomotive of basketball in the country," Bogoslavjev said before going on to point out that playing home away games is very important for a country as the national team "has the ability to unite the whole nation and has its own unique role in promoting the game."

FIBA