ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - FIBA's Regional Office in Africa held its Mid-Term General Assembly on July 25 for the current cycle in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, just ahead of the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket 2025 tip off, which ran from July 26 to August 3 in the country's largest city.
The Mid-Term General Assembly, chaired by FIBA Africa President Anibal Manave, opened with a moment of silence honoring African basketball figures who passed away in recent years. Leaders from 46 National Federations across the continent gathered to discuss and approve key topics shaping the present and future of basketball in Africa.
They were joined by the FIBA President, Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani; FIBA Secretary General, Andreas Zagklis; FIBA Treasurer, Ingo Weiss; the Executive Director of Africa, Alphonse Bile; members of the Executive Committee of the Regional Office of Africa; members of the Central Board of FIBA Africa; the President of the FIBA Foundation, Hamane Niang; the President of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), Amadou Gallo Fall; and the Minister of Sports of the Ivory Coast, Adjé Silas Metch.
In his welcome speech, FIBA Africa President Manave commented on the progress that FIBA's Regional Office in Africa has made over the last years. He said: “Our progress has been substantial and transformative. We have created a groundbreaking partnership with the Olympic Africa Center to develop youth 3x3 basketball, opening new pathways for our young athletes. The extension of our headquarters has provided better working conditions, enabling our team to serve African basketball more effectively.”
The event emphasized the importance of strengthening the Region's foundation over the next two years, outlining key priorities such as building an academy to develop human resources, transforming the Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA) into a professional league, and establishing the Road to BAL as a sustainable second-tier competition. The meeting also addressed the need for stricter measures against age fraud and called for infrastructure development across member nations to support more hosting opportunities, ensure stability in qualification events, and maintain the credibility of competitions.
Mr. Djé Silas Metch greeted guests in Côte d'Ivoire and spoke about how his country is working to develop basketball in Africa. FIBA Africa’s Regional Office received approval to begin construction on a new arena and sports academy in Abidjan, marking a significant step forward for basketball development in the region.
FIBA's Regional Office in Africa plans to grow 3x3 basketball is progressing well, supported by a dedicated local organization aiming to represent Africa at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The highlighted success in the past two years, particularly the FIBA Qualifying Windows and the 2023 FIBA AfroCan held in Angola was acknowledged and the importance of continued collaboration between FIBA and the NBA.
Overall, the Mid-Term General Assembly reflected positive momentum, with encouraging results halfway through the term and a strong outlook for African basketball's development and competition growth following the challenges of the previous cycle.
FIBA