MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia on My Mind) - The loss of Patrick Baumann has shaken not just the basketball community but the entire world of sport, mainly because of how he was such a positive presence.

Mr. Baumann was tremendously instrumental in helping basketball's meteoric rise in the new millennium thanks to his progressive mindset and his ability to effectively engage stakeholders from across continents and cultures.

Asia is no exception.

Asian basketball has seen a big boom in the past ten or so years, all of which happening under Mr. Baumann's capable watch. It always felt like he knew Asian basketball was the "new frontier" of the sport's growth, and that he was committed to helping elevate the quality of not just competition but also collaboration among Asia's basketball federations.

I remember watching with pride in 2006 when the FIBA Basketball World Cup was held in Japan - a truly memorable event as the first World Cup held in Asia since 1978. Nobody will forget how Greece knocked Team USA out in the Semi-Finals before bowing to powerhouse Spain in the titular affair!

In the next two World Cups, Asia would see a six different countries qualify: China, Iran, Jordan and Lebanon in 2010 and Iran, Philippines and Korea in 2014. That's a testament to how far Asian basketball has gone, and much of it is because of Baumann's leadership and his acknowledgment of Asian basketball's potential.

To underscore this even more, the next two World Cups will be held in Asia. China, of course, will host next year's landmark edition featuring a record 32 teams before the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia join forces to organize the first-ever multi-host World Cup in 2023.

It was also in Baumann's term when the FIBA U16 continental tournaments and FIBA U17 World Cup tipped off and became a much-awaited set of spectacles. This initiative helped usher in a new generation of rising stars and really boosted the growth of youth basketball around the globe.

Aside from that, Mr. Baumann's foresight was also a big factor in the crafting of the new qualification format for the FIBA Basketball World Cup, which was announced in 2014 and finally implemented in 2017. He was also a strong moving force behind the 3x3 movement, which has become a global attraction and a highly anticipated event at the coming 2020 Olympics.

One can also credit Mr. Baumann for integrating the Oceania and Asia zones, increasing the level of competition in both areas and sparking an unprecedented development of the sport in countries in and around the Asia-Pacific.

Here in the Philippines, Mr. Baumann's passing has really created a shockwave among Filipino basketball circles. He was considered a "friend of Philippine basketball" by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and the Philippine Basketball Association, especially with how he guided the resurrection of Philippine hoops from the doldrums of suspension in the mid-2000s.

His passing is a loss for the global sporting community, but his progressive leadership is a shining example that should guide our current and future leaders as basketball moves onward to a promising future.

Enzo Flojo

FIBA

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