PRISTINA (Kosovo) - Kosovo Basketball Federation (KBF) has continued to embrace the support and expertise of the FIBA Plus initiative as it looks to shape and implement an exciting new four-year Sporting Strategic Plan covering the period 2026-2030.
This is the third time the KBF has successfully engaged with FIBA Plus, which assists National Federations in developing strategies to enhance their ability to organize, professionalize and commercialize basketball activities and offers planning and implementation support to all members. FIBA's team of specialists apply their knowledge to tailor bespoke support for each participating National Federation. It is also a key element of FIBA's strategic priority to Empower National Federations.
With the overriding aim of achieving greater results and success on the court during coming years, a three-day workshop took place in Pristina recently to determine how the Sporting Strategic Plan would be developed and implemented.
Facilitated in person and involving around 20 participants from both the KBF and FIBA, a number of key themes and goals were highlighted. These were focused on expanding the basketball community at the grassroots level, increasing women's participation, enhancing coaching development, establishing a clear talent development pathway, and strengthening the performance of all national teams. Before the workshop took place, FIBA experts conducted a series of consultations to analyze the basketball landscape in the country, which included one-on-one interviews with key stakeholders such as the KBF President, KBF Secretary General, Board members, the President of the Coaches Association, the Director of Development Programs & Projects, a National Olympic Committee (NOC) representative, the National Team Director & Deputy Secretary General, the Competition Manager, and the Youth Competition Manager.
Additionally, online surveys were conducted with players, coaches, referees, clubs, and fans - with almost 300 responses gathered in total, and the findings fed into discussions at the workshop.
Throughout FIBA Plus, the KBF has greatly strengthened its strategic vision and planning capacity.
Fetahu continued, "The first collaboration in 2020 led to the development of the Strategic Plan 2021-2025, which laid the groundwork for transforming basketball structures and improving the Federation’s overall effectiveness. Building on that foundation, this has supported the drafting of this Plan.
"This ongoing partnership has also enhanced KBF’s ability to plan strategically, track progress, and implement long-term development initiatives aligned with FIBA’s global objectives."
He added, "KBF has gained valuable experience from FIBA Plus in how to build and implement a practical and results-oriented development strategy. We learned the importance of involving all basketball stakeholders in the process, setting clear priorities, and linking them to concrete actions and measurable timelines."
The experience of the partnership and its benefits were also clearly underlined by KBF Secretary General, Elvira Dushku.
Following the success of past FIBA Plus collaborations, it was essential for KBF to receive FIBA's guidance again to ensure continuity and evolution in its long-term planning.
"Our first program with FIBA helped KBF establish its structures and strategic mindset, while this second phase focused on deepening its impact - developing talent pathways, ensuring sustainable growth, and aligning national objectives with FIBA's global vision.
"The expertise provided by FIBA Plus has given us a valuable perspective, helping KBF review progress from the previous plan and design a forward-looking strategy for 2026-2030 - based on measurable results and realistic priorities," concluded Dushku.
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