BRUSSELS (Belgium) - FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis, FIBA Europe President Jorge Garbajosa and FIBA Executive Director Kamil Novak were hosted by the EU Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport Glenn Micallef for an introductory meeting in Brussels on Friday.
The FIBA delegation, which was accompanied by European Olympic Committees EU Office Director Folker Hellmund, briefed the high-ranking official of the executive arm of the European Union on FIBA's strategic priorities, and together they engaged in an interactive discussion on the multi-faceted impact of the hugely popular sport on EU member states and their citizens.
Special emphasis was given to the objectives of FIBA’s strategy for Women in Basketball, framed in the context of the back-to-back major women’s competitions in emblematic European Union member state cities - the phenomenally successful FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2025 that attracted record crowds to Piraeus for the Final Phase, and the upcoming FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup that will take place in its entirety in Berlin and is poised to redefine the standards for the top women’s events.
The EU Commission was briefed in detail on the multiple layers of player development in basketball and the investment FIBA undertakes in youth programs around Europe, underscored by the sucesful completion of no less than 16 Youth EuroBaskets every single year.
The FIBA leadership team also provided the Commissioner with updates on contemporary issues related to the structure of European club competitions in basketball.
FIBA