FIBA - Australia and Turkey submit 2014 bids in time

GENEVA (2014 FIBA World Championship for Women) - Australia and Turkey submitted the complete bidding documents for the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women to the FIBA offices in Geneva within the given deadline that expired yesterday.

"We are extremely pleased to have two solid bids on our table for the Women’s World Championship", stated FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann. "Both countries offer great conditions for Women’s basketball and we look forward to making a decision in Lyon on 13 March who will be our host in 2014."

A decision on who to award the Championships to will be made by the FIBA Central Board in Lyon.

The 2010 edition of the event was held in the Czech Republic and was a resounding success. The 16 best teams in the world - representing all five continents - will fight it out for basketball’s most prominent title.

Discussions have been held lately whether future editions of the Women’s World Championships should be moved to the winter months, thereby giving women’s basketball a better spot in the international sports' calendar and to move it away from the men’s event that takes place in summer.

The idea of making the Women’s World Championship a bi-annual event in odd years has even been raised with the aim of giving women’s basketball a bigger boost.

Another important decision that will be taken at the meeting in Lyon is the automatic qualification of the host nation Great Britain for the 2012 Olympics in London. This decision will also be made on 13 March.

FIBA