MIAMI (Americas) – The FIBA Americas Zone Board met on April 16, 2018 in Miami, Florida, to discuss a wide range of topics, receive reports, updates and make decisions on future events in the Zone.

FIBA Governance in the Americas Zone
The Sub-Zones and Sub Sub-Zones of the region reported on their respective Assemblies held in the first quarter of 2019, which resulted in the following elected positions for the 2019-2023 period:

Central America (COCABA)
President: Mario Mendez (MEX)
Vice President: Paul Thompson (BLZ)
Secretary: Alvaro Calvo (CRC)

Caribbean (CBC)
President: Glyne Clark (BAR)
Vice President, Marketing and Finance: Daryll Matthew (ANT)
Vice President, Technical: Fredrick Browne (BAH)
Vice President, Programs and Development: Marland Nattie (JAM)
Secretary: Sabrina Mitchell (VIN)
Treasurer: Kebra Nanton (ANT)
At-Large Member: Guy Malone (BVI)
At-Large Member: Victor O’Garro (CAY)

Central America and the Caribbean (CONCENCABA)
President: Yamil Bukele (ESA)
1st Vice President: Glyne Clark (BAR)
2nd Vice President: Mario Mendez (MEX)
Secretary Patrick Haynes (GUY)
At-Large Member: Sabrina Mitchell (VIN)
At-Large Member: Yum Ramos (PUR)
At-Large Member: Alvaro Calvo (CRC)
At-Large Member: Modesto Robledo (MEX)

South America (CONSUBASQUET)
President: Marcelo Bedoya (PAR)
Vice President: Marcelo Correa (BRA)
Secretary: Jose Arevalo (ECU)
Treasurer: Marco Arze (BOL)

North America
Reported on their submissions to the FIBA Nominations Panel of Carol Callan (USA) for Zone President, Michele O’Keefe (CAN) for Zone 3rd Vice-President, and Zone Board Members Kim Bohuny (USA), Jim Tooley (USA) and Glen Grunwald (CAN).

National Federations Development Program
The Zone Board was updated on the launch of the long-term project for the Development of National Federations. Bahamas, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico were visited by FIBA President Horacio Muratore, FIBA Americas Executive Director Carlos Alves, FIBA Sports and National Federations Manager Florian Pasquet, and Paulo Villas Boas, who has been appointed by FIBA Americas to lead the implementation of the program in the continent, as the members of the FIBA delegation that held meetings with the executive board of the three national federations, as well as the highest sports authorities in the respective countries. The project will continue in 2019 in the Americas region with visits to Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay. (Hyperlink: http://www.fiba.basketball/news/fiba-visits-bahamas-dominican-republic-and-puerto-rico-in-national-federation-development-program-launch)

Youth Continental Championships
The boys’ edition of the FIBA U16 Americas Championship, to be played on June 3-9, will be hosted by Belem, Brazil, while the girls’ edition, to be played on June16-22, will be hosted by Aysen, Chile.

FIBA Americas Youth Development Program
The Zone Board members received a report on the second edition of the FIBA Americas Youth Development Program Elite Camp that took place this weekend in the National High-Performance Sports Center (CENARD, for its Spanish acronym) and in Obras Sanitarias’ facilities in the city of Buenos Aires. Argentines Tomas Allende, Federico Copes, Esteban Caffaro, Lucas Sigismonti and Uruguayan player Mateo Bianchi were chosen for the Elite Squad among the 24 participants born between 2002 and 2005 in Argentina, Uruguay and Chile.

The five players join Marcio Henrique Da Costa, Matheus Leoni Brito, Guilherme Carvalho, Daniel Ifedi Ferreira and Bruno Henrique Pedro, who were chosen for the FIBA Americas Elite Squad in the Campinas Camp that was celebrated from December 13 to 17. Future Elite Camps will be held in Mexico (for Central American countries) in June and in Puerto Rico (for Caribbean countries) in July.

Mini Basketball Festival
The Americas Mini Basketball Festival was held in in the city of Hermosillo in the Mexican state of Sonora, Mexico on January 31-February 3 and welcomed more than 6 thousand visitors that included players, coaches, parents, delegates, and national and international authorities. FIBA President, Horacio Muratore; FIBA Americas President, Usie Richards; FIBA Americas Executive Director, Carlos Alves; FIBA Youth Commission President, Mario Méndez; Florian Wanninger, Director of the International Foundation (IBF); and the President of the International Youth Commission of FIBA Americas, Mario Méndez were present at the event that had the participation of players from 6 to 12 years of age from Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Panama, Dominican Republic, Cayman Islands, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Honduras, and Mexico, the host country.

New Club Competition Project
The members were briefed in detail on the new club competition to be launched in 2019 focused on improving the relationship between FIBA, the National Federations and the National Leagues, as well as creating a strong ecosystem for basketball in the continent. Details on the new club competition will be made available and public in the coming months.

The Zone Board meeting was attended by Zone Board members Carlos Beltran, Ricardo Siri and Modesto Robledo, Zone Executive Committee Member-at-Large Eduardo Bazzi, CBC President Glyne Clarke, COCABA President Yamil Bukele, CONSUBASQUET President and FIBA Central Board Member Marcelo Bedoya, Americas Treasurer Jim Tooley, Americas Executive Director Carlos Alves, Americas 2nd Vice President Gerasime Bozikis and FIBA Americas President Usie Richards.

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