(ATR) International Basketball Federation secretary general Patrick Baumann tells Around the Rings the adoption of new general statutes is vital to the sport’s global growth.
On Sunday, FIBA’s Extraordinary World Congress in Istanbul unanimously adopted new general statutes that overhauled the governance of the organisation and are aimed at strengthening the organisation "in view of future challenges and strategic growth opportunities"
Changes include increasing FIBA’s central board from 23 to 29 members to include more stakeholders including positions for both the NBA and the athletes. An executive committee will be established "to increase the flexibility and efficiency in the decision-making process". FIBA is also redefining the roles and responsibilities of its regional zones to provide better administrative services to member federations.
"We felt that we needed to make some changes for the next 20 years to improve those structures and grow the game in the farthest corners of the world," Baumann told ATR, speaking of FIBA becoming more united, efficient and modern in its governance.
A total of 198 of FIBA’s 214 national federations attended the congress.
"Most important was that 198 countries were here, the decision was unanimous," he said, noting that some of FIBA’s governance structures had been in place for two decades or longer.
"We are changing the ways of doing things. They were all hungry for change and the accelerated growth of basketball," he added.
Other revisions of the statutes that were adopted included adjusting the next cycle of term of office to FIBA's new competition calendar, having an "exceptional" five-year term (2014-2019) until the next Ordinary Congress and FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2019.
Member federations also voted on plans to ensure the congress has a central role in shaping future policies "by directly electing an important number of central board members and by meeting every two years as of 2017".
Labeling Sunday as "a memorable day in FIBA's history", federation president Yvan Mainini said the vote strengthened basketball’s position in the world of sport. "It commits all national member federations to embrace FIBA's ambitious growth projects like the 3x3 and the new 2017 FIBA competition system," he said in a statement.
The election process for the next Ordinary Congress at the end of August will be run under the provisions of FIBA’s new statutes.
Written by Mark Bisson.
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