MIES - For the first time, International Special Olympics teams will participate in the FIBA Open. 

Sam Perkins, NBA legend (LA Lakers, Indiana Pacers, Seattle Supersonincs) and Olympic Gold Medalist with the United States ( Los Angeles 1984) will be present to encourage and support the Unified Teams basketball players as a Special Olympics International Ambassador and will sign autographs for all fans.

Sam Perkins. 1984 Olympic Games gold medal winner. NBA Legend. Special Olympics Ambassador

The FIBA ​​Open will take place on 15-16 June 2019 in Mies (VD) and will bring together basketball fans from around the world to the House of Basketball for a grassroots tournament.

This event is an extraordinary experience on and off the court as visitors can go inside the House of Basketball, visit the exhibition space including the Hall of Fame and take part in an entertaining program. 

Special Olympics teams from across Europe have been invited to participate in the event by the FIBA Foundation, the International Basketball Foundation (IBF). The teams from Switzerland, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Finland, France, Italy, Lithuania and Bulgaria are each composed of three Special Olympics athletes, two unified partners and one coach and will play a games on both days.

"We are delighted to have a player of such caliber on site," says Andreas Zagklis, FIBA Secretary General. "His vision of using basketball for good is very much in line with our mission".

Bruno Barth, Managing Director of Special Olympics Switzerland, is also pleased about the commitment of Sam Perkins and comments on the cooperation with FIBA: "Cooperation with national and international organizations is an important step for us in the application of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. On the one hand, we want to create sports opportunities adapted to people with mental disabilities in existing structures, on the other we would like to enable enriching encounters between people with and without disabilities during events such as the FIBA ​​Open".

 FIBA