FIBA - Highest executive body of FIBA counts five female members

GENEVA (International Women’s Day) - At total of five female members bring expertise to the FIBA Central Board, the highest executive body of the International Basketball Federation. That constitutes 25% of the 20-member Board, which meets twice a year and decides on the major issues of global basketball.
 
“The nomination of the members of the FIBA Central Board is not a question of quota” said Mr. Patrick Baumann, Secretary General of FIBA and IOC member. “What we need at the Board is experience and expertise to bring the sport forward on all levels. Our female colleagues in the FIBA Central Board politely but energetically are reminding us sometimes of the potential of the women’s game and the role of women’s sport in society. At the same time they also present an expert and refreshing view and insight on many of the topics the Board discusses.”
 
Here is a quick introduction of the female members of the FIBA Central Board:
 
Ms. Valerie Ackerman (USA)
In May 2005 Valerie Ackermann became the first female president of USA Basketball for the 2005-2008 term of office.
Ackerman played professional basketball in France for one season. Starting in 1988, she served as a staff attorney for the National Basketball Association and as special assistant to NBA Commissioner David Stern. From 1995-1996, she was a driving force behind the creation of the historic USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team program that culminated with a 60-0 record and the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. In 1996, Ackerman was named President of the WNBA. Over the course of her historic term, Ackerman would become the first women ever to successfully launch a women's team oriented sports league in the USA.
 
Ms. Mabel Ching Man Wai (HKG)
Mabel Ching Man Wai has been organizing FIBA events in Asia for the last decade. These events included FIBA Asia championships in China and FIBA’s invitational tournaments, the “FIBA Diamond Ball” for men and women. In 2008, she will be responsible for the FIBA Diamond Ball for Women to be played in Haining, P.R. of China, just one week before the start of the Olympics with the participation of some of the best women’s teams in the world: USA, Australia, Russia, and China.
 
Ms. Marion Grethen (LUX)
Marion Grethen is the President of the Basketball Federation of Luxembourg since two years. Before that she was serving as Secretary General and Board Member since 1981. She started playing basketball in 1966 and won the national cup competition twice with her club. She has been working in international basketball on various FIBA Boards and Commission of FIBA since many years. For the 2002 – 2006 term of office she has been a member of the FIBA Commission for Women’s Basketball and is also a member of the Board of FIBA Europe since 1998 until today.
 
Ms. Maïga Salamatou (MLI)
Maïga Salamatou is the Secretary General of the Basketball Federation of Mali since 1997. She was a successful player with her national team for which she served as a captain from 1972 until 1980. The Women’s national team of Mali has achieved its biggest success last year in winning the FIBA Africa Championship and qualifying directly for the 2008 Olympic basketball tournament in Beijing. She serves as the marketing director for the National Olympic Committee of Mali since 1992. She has been elected director for the Zone II of the African Women Association in Sport in 1998. She is a member of the FIBA Africa Board.
 
Ms. Barbara Wheadon (NZL)
Barbara Wheadon is the President of the Basketball Federation of New Zealand and President of FIBA Oceania since 2006. She was a player, coach and referee for over 30 years. The national teams of New Zealand, the “Tall Blacks” and the “Kiwis” have become regular contenders at FIBA World Championships and Olympic Games. The biggest success was the fourth place of the Men’s team at the 2002 FIBA World Championship and the 8th place of the Women’s team at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
 
4th IOC World Conference on Women and Sport
 
On the occasion of the International Women’s Day on 8th March, the IOC has taken the initiative to organize the 4th IOC World Conference on Women and Sport, which will take place from 8-10 March 2008 in Jordan. FIBA President Bob Elphinston and FIBA Secretary General and IOC member Patrick Baumann will attend the conference. Patrick Baumann will also contribute as a speaker in one of the seminaries.
 
How to best use "Sport as a vehicle for social change" will be discussed by the hundreds of expected participants from the Olympic Movement, universities, industry, governments, NGOs and other expert institutions. How can female athletes serve as role models for young girls? How to get more women into coaching and officiating. How to address the HIV/AIDS pandemic through sport. And how does culture determine women’s access to sport? These are only some of the topics which will be elaborated on in plenary and parallel sessions. Outside the conference rooms, the participants will have the opportunity to join in exhibitions and cultural activities.
 
The conference serves to analyze the progress made in this field within the Olympic Movement and to discuss new opportunities to increase the participation of women in sport. Under the patronage of Their Majesties, King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and jointly organized by the IOC and the NOC of Jordan, the Conference will be an excellent platform to exchange expertise and best practice as well as collaborate for future action around the 2008 motto.
 
FIBA honored twice with IOC Women and Sport Trophy
 
The International Olympic Committee has created in 2000 a new award in order to acknowledge outstanding achievements of individuals, organizations or institutions to promote the participation of girls and women in the sports world. Since then, the basketball family has received the prestigious award twice.
 
The first award went to FIBA in 2000 for their strong involvement of female experts in their commissions, councils and boards.
 
The second award was presented to Lorraine Landon in 2004. Lorraine Landon has been involved in the sport of basketball for over 35 years, first as a successful athlete, then as a coach and team manager, as competition manager for the Sydney Olympic Basketball tournaments and lately as a high ranked administrator on the international and national level. She is currently the President of FIBA's Women Commission and her expertise is a major asset to the development of the sport. The Trophy Award Ceremony took place during the opening of the 3rd IOC World Conference on Women and Sport in Marrakech, Morocco. 
 
FIBA