JEDDAH (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) – Idea leads to vision. Vision leads to strategy. Strategy leads to legacy. Legacy leads to lasting development. This is a rather simple and straightforward formula for success in building a sustainable eco system in sport. The Saudi Arabian Basketball Federation (SBF) finds itself positioned somewhere at one of those stopovers as it prepares to host the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 this summer.
Talk to the man, who is helming the organizational ship, pat comes the answer. “To make FIBA Asia Cup 2025 as the best version of the competition, and to be remembered as that for many years to come,” says SBF President Dr. Ghassan Tashkindi, also the chief of the Local Organizing Committee for FIBA Asia’s flagship competition scheduled for Aug 5-17 this year.
“Jeddah is known as the bride of the Red Sea and an important hub for the country blending the Kingdom's ancient traditions with modern influences. From its historical landmarks and gastronomy to its emerging art scene and luxury shopping, Jeddah will surprise all visitors,” Tashkindi sounded excited to welcome the 16 top National Teams, who will make the cut - coming through the rigours of three hard-fought Windows followed by an equally competitive Qualifying Tournament.
“But this time around Jeddah is out to make a mark as one of the top organizers of an international basketball competition,” he said.
“In the last few years, Saudi Arabia has become a sporting hub by hosting world-class sport event, and now basketball is part of the country's calendar,” he added.
Saudi Arabia last hosted the FIBA Asia Cup, almost three decades ago, when Tashkindi attended the event as a wide-eyed youngster.
“We are very pleased to host the biggest event in the continent once again, but this time in the city of Jeddah,” he said with boyish enthusiasm.
Tashkindi broke down the impact of hosting the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 into three succinct parts.
“Firstly, the biggest gainer will be the Saudi basketball community. And the biggest gain for them would be exposure of the high level of basketball in the country.
“As part of SBF strategic plan, we focus on multiple areas including promotion and tourism. A mega event like FIBA Asia Cup will not only deliver those areas significantly, but also cover other areas within our core KPIs,” he said.
“And then comes the impact on Saudi sport extending beyond basketball. We aim to translate the opportunity towards consolidating the position of basketball as the second most watched sport in the country,” he said.
But that was not all. The SBF president expects the Saudi society too to benefit from hosting the FIBA Asia. “We hope to spark a special interest for sport in general among Saudi youngsters. We want basketball to go beyond just the players and coaches and reach every single home in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Perhaps the interest for the sport has indeed been sparked with the overwhelming support SBF is gaining from the authorities.
“As soon as I reached out to the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) showing interest to host FIBA Asia Cup, they immediately supported the idea, and particularly from HRH Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-Faisal, the Minister of Sport and President of SOPC,” he said.
FIBA