Qatar Basketball

FIBA ASIA CONGRESS 2014

DOHA, Qatar 24-July-2014 (FIBA Asia): Delegates from 45 countries have begun to descend in the Qatari capital of Doha for the biggest conglomeration of basketball administrators in Asia – the 2014 FIBA Asia Elective Congress scheduled for Friday – to deliberate and discuss on the road map ahead for one of the biggest zones in the FIBA family.

The 2014 FIBA Asia Elective Congress will also elect the newly constituted FIBA Asia Central Board for the 2014-18 term as prescribed the FIBA Asia General Bye-Laws.

The FIBA Asia Elective Congress will also welcome its 45th NF member in East Timor, who will be placed under SEABA sub-zone.

Sheikh Saud bin Ali Al-Thani has been re-elected unanimously as FIBA Asia President Sheikh Saud bin Ali Al-Thani – for a fourth consecutive four-year term, and will be joined by six office-bearers to be elected at the 2014 FIBA Asia Elective Congress. FIBA Asia Secretary General Hagop Khajirian and the nominees of six FIBA Asia Sub Zones will complete the 2014-18 FIBA Asia Central Board.

“The FIBA Asia Congress is an occasion for celebration, introspection and planning. It’s an occasion for us to reflect on what we have done in the last four years and look at what needs to be done in the next four. The Congress is exactly the point when we look at the road we came by and the road ahead with plans for course correction,” Sheikh Saud bin Ali Al-Thani said.

“The FIBA Asia Congress is also an occasion to celebrate basketball with friends from all over the world under one roof. More so in Asia, given the diversities of backgrounds, culture, languages that we have within our region,” he said.

FIBA Asia Secretary General Hagop Khajirian called upon the FIBA Asia Congress to deliberate and propose methods to uplift the overall standard of basketball especially in National Federations who are not traditionally strong.

“We have to do this at the immediate near future,” he said adding that: “The new competition system that comes into vogue from 2017 onwards puts the onus on the National Federations to be completely organized.”

“FIBA Asia will come up with a comprehensive plan to meet the challenges that arise from the new competition system, but first up we’d like to listen to the National Federations themselves. I’m sure the FIBA Asia Congress will be very fruitful in that direction,” he said.

“We also express our sincere appreciation to the Qatar Basketball Federation under the dynamic leadership of Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani for hosting the FIBA Asia Congress in Doha,” he added.