GOLD COAST (Australia) - It is with deep sadness that FIBA confirmed the passing of FIBA Oceania Founder and Hall of Famer Al Ramsay. He was 97 years old.

Alastair Ramsay served as FIBA Oceania's Secretary-General from its inception in 1968 to 1997 and President from 1997 to 2002. He is generally regarded as the forefather of Oceania Basketball due to his work in promoting and developing the game in the region. Al Ramsay visited the Pacific Island nations by himself to inspect and give support to the National Federations.

FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis said: "On behalf of FIBA, I wish to express our heartfelt condolences to Mr. Ramsay's family and friends. As the founder of one of FIBA's regional zones, the impact of Mr Ramsay on the basketball world was crucial. We are grateful for his contributions to the sport. FIBA and in particular the Oceania region would not be where it is today without his contribution.”

FIBA Honorary President Bob Elphinston said: “Al was a dynamic leader, extraordinarily committed to growing the game of basketball with a never-ending level of enthusiasm for the sport of basketball. Al developed the model of employing Zone Development Officers that spent considerable time in each Island nation seeking to improve the playing, coaching, refereeing and administrative standards of the Oceania Federations.”

Al Ramsay was born on March 1924, in the city of Wauchope in New South Wales, Australia. He served as the Secretary for the Australian Basketball Union, now Basketball Australia for 14 years and was a member of the Central Board for 25 years.

Photo: Al Ramsay (right) with Bob Elphinston during the FIBA Oceania 50th anniversary

He started his career in basketball as a Secretary to the New South Wales Basketball Association from 1955 to 1964. Mr. Ramsay received his Diploma of Physical Education at the Sydney Teachers College in 1948, Bachelor of Science at the McGill University, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1952 and Master of Education at the University of Sydney in 1967.

Mr. Ramsay worked tirelessly to start the Oceania Zone. In 1964 all areas of the world, except the Pacific were established FIBA Zones. Mr. Ramsay assembled basketball leaders in the region and organized a meeting in 1967 held in Perth, Australia to discuss the formation of the Oceania Basketball Confederation (OCB).

The OCB was officially formed by June of 1968 with Sir Lance Cross appointed as President and Mr. Ramsay as the Secretary-General. Later that year, in the FIBA Congress held in Mexico, Mr Ramsay proposed the membership of the OCB as a member of FIBA, and the nomination was carried with no dissent and accepted unanimously by the governing body of the sport.

Mr. Ramsay's illustrious career with FIBA Oceania spanned from 1968 to 2002, he was appointed as an Honorary Lifetime President of the region in 2001 and served in this role until his passing.

In 1994, Mr. Ramsay recruited Steve Smith to become the Deputy Secretary-General of FIBA Oceania.

In 2001, the winners of the annual international men's basketball series between Australia and New Zealand in conjunction with the FIBA Oceania Championship were awarded the Al Ramsay Shield, named after him.

The illustrious career of Mr. Ramsay garnered him several lifetime recognitions including the FIBA Order of Merit in 2002 and he was an inaugural inductee in the Basketball Australia Hall of Fame in 2004, while winners of the Men's Pacific Island Tournaments were awarded the Al Ramsay Trophy.

Mr. Ramsay was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2009.

He is survived by his wife Helen and two children, Alison and Donald.

FIBA