RIGA (Latvia) - The FIBA Europe Board, term of office 2023-27, concluded its seventh meeting in Riga, Latvia on May 22, 2025.
The event, which was hosted by the Latvian Basketball Association, was chaired by FIBA Europe President Jorge Garbajosa while FIBA President Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani, FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis and FIBA Executive Director Europe Kamil Novak were all in attendance.
In his opening speech, Mr. Garbajosa expressed his gratitude to all participants, with special appreciation to the hosts for their warm welcome and hospitality.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani drew attention to the recently concluded FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Qualifiers Draw in Doha, Qatar.
In his address, Mr. Zagklis offered updates on the increased quotas for 3x3 teams for the Olympics, locations for both basketball disciplines in Los Angeles, as well as the recently confirmed dates for the Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.
He also provided information on the biggest-ever FIBA Mid-Term Congress in Manama, Bahrain, as well as the rescheduling of future FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cups as of 2030.
FIBA EuroBasket 2029 Hosts
As the principal agenda item, the Board officially awarded the hosting rights for FIBA EuroBasket 2029 to the National Federations of Estonia, Greece, Slovenia and Spain.
The event will take place in Athens, Greece; Ljubljana, Slovenia; Tallinn, Estonia and Madrid, Spain, with the Final Phase played in the Spanish capital.
FIBA Continental Cups 2025
The Board also reviewed detailed preparation reports for the upcoming FIBA EuroBasket 2025 and FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2025, which are progressing according to plan.
In addition, the Board received updates on promotion and ticketing aspects, aimed at maximizing visibility of the flagship events, as well as brief status updates from the Hosts.
Club Competitions
The Board was presented with reports covering the very successful 2024-25 season of EuroLeague Women, EuroCup Women, Basketball Champions League and FIBA Europe Cup.
Taking into account feedback from the clubs following the implementation of a new competition system in EuroLeague Women, the Board approved the following proposals from the Competitions Commission:
The format of the Play-Ins to be changed to a best-of-three series instead of the previous home-and-away;
A spot in the Qualifiers to be awarded to a club which commits well in advance to hosting the Final Six event, if the club is not qualified via the country ranking;
Stricter admission criteria for the clubs to be applied in the Regulations.
The Board also approved the proposal regarding EuroCup Women to give a guaranteed spot for the champions of the previous season, if the club is not qualified via the country ranking. The relevant amendments were made to the FIBA Competition Regulations 2025-26, with the draft calendar for the upcoming season also approved.
The Board also acknowledged the updates on the European club competitions landscape and about the NBA project in Europe.
Youth Competitions
The Board provisionally approved the request from the Albanian Basketball Federation to change the venue of the FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2025, Division C, from Korce to Shkodra.
The early designation candidature from Sweden for the FIBA U18 Women's EuroBasket 2026, Division B was provisionally approved. Should Sweden earn promotion to Division A, the approval would instead be adapted to hosting FIBA U18 Women's EuroBasket 2026.
The Board also approved the report of the Youth Commission and the following proposals:
Extend the term of early designation for hosting Youth EuroBaskets from two to three or more years, based on special criteria and conditions;
Prohibit sponsorship of betting and alcohol companies at all U16 and U18 events, with further discussion and final decision pending for U20 events.
Additionally, a report on the Youth Basketball Champions League 2025 was also presented and acknowledged by the Board.
National Federation Programs
The Board received updates on National Federation development programs, highlighting progress across key initiatives and outlining upcoming milestones.
These include the end of the 2025 application process for the Youth Development Fund, Her World Her Rules, and Alley-Oop projects; the upcoming final workshops and graduation ceremonies for participants in the TIME-OUT and WiLEAD programs; and the pilot phase of Hoops 4 Schools, the results of which will be presented at the Secretaries General meeting.
Other matters
The topic of young players leaving for NCAA was discussed, focusing on helping players make well-informed decisions, increase availability of NCAA players for their national team and to help protect clubs’ investments into player development.
The Board was also updated on the recent decision by the FIBA Central Board to extend the status of Russia and Belarus until the FIBA Executive Committee meeting which will take place in August 2025.
The next Board meeting is scheduled to take place in Sibiu, Romania on November 21.
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