CZE – FIBA World Championship for Women gets a big thumbs-up

KARLOVY VARY (2010 FIBA World Championship for Women) - The 2010 FIBA World Championship for Women was hailed as a huge success on Sunday in Karlovy Vary.

The event has enjoyed a huge increase in attendance, better competition and much wider international coverage.

"We have set new records since 2006,” said FIBA Secretary General and IOC member Patrick Baumann.

“Attendance wise – there is a 60% increase in terms of spectators from then (in Brazil) to now.

"We have more countries broadcasting.”

The rights to the event have been distributed to 150 countries compared to 78 four years ago and all of the games have been available worldwide on FIBATV.com.

There have also been millions of visits on www.fiba.basketball.

“We have websites in three languages,” Baumann said.

“So that shows great interest in the sport.

"In terms of sport, it's no doubt that the competition standard is growing higher and higher, there are more competitive games, more upsets than the 2008 Olympic Games.

“Forty per cent of the games finished within 10 points, several games finished in overtime so the results of the games have been more difficult to predict.”

Baumann also said the tournament should be considered as an encouraging one for teams from Asia and Africa.

“Africa and Asian teams, despite the fact of being at the bottom of rankings, have shown technical improvement,” Baumann said.

FIBA President Yvan Mainini saluted Czech Republic Basketball Federation President Miroslav Jansta and the organizing committee.

"I want to have a small flashback to the opening ceremony - a first time at a World Championship for Women we had something like that,” Mainini said.

“It was a great way to start the World Championship.

“I don't have any complaints about the organization.

“What I saw was a great and warm organization.”

Jansta beamed with pride.

“We started working as the local organizing committee about 13 months ago, as we took over the organizing job from the past committee,” he said.

“I have to recognize them for getting us the championship and the past success.

“For us to organize the event, it was a great honor.”

FIBA