TUR – Baumann hails new era of FIBA World Championship

ISTANBUL (FIBA World Championship) - FIBA revealed on Saturday that the FIBA World Championship “will be seen on TV by over a billion people”.

Speaking ahead of Group B’s first game in Istanbul between Slovenia and Tunisia, FIBA Secretary General and IOC member Patrick Baumann delivered a confident message about the blockbuster event that will also have games in Kayseri, Izmir and Ankara.

"We look forward to seeing the gyms full,” Baumann said.

“We have sold over 300,000 tickets. There are still a few for sale. Another point that basketball is growing is the advertising over the city, on buses.

"We are starting at a different level than we were in the past. It is good to have a strong support behind from the government for the Turkish Basketball Federation - thanks to them for this.

"This championship will be seen on TV by over a billion people, a 20% increase with respect to the last World Championship.

"There are (broadcast) agreements with over 180 countries."

Turkey put on a sensational Opening Ceremony on Friday night at the Sinan Erdem Arena.

“We had a very separate, special event done for basketball,” said Baumann, who was accompanied in his press conference by the Turkish Basketball Federation’s Emin Balci, the events director for the World Championship.

“I want to thank the Turkish Basketball Federation, Emin, the sports minister.  It was almost an Olympic style opening ceremony for the World Championship.”

Baumann was asked if he expected to see Great Britain teams at the London 2012 Olympics.

He praised the country’s men’s and women’s teams following their qualification this week for next year’s EuroBaskets but stopped short of confirming the teams would be given spots in London.

Britain’s men earned a trip to a second straight EuroBasket with an overtime win over Bosnia and Herzegovina while the women’s side thrashed Germany to clinch first place in their qualifying group.

“On a sporting standpoint, that’s great,” Baumann said of Britain’s wins.

“I think this is a substantial step for the Olympic dream.

“On the other hand, it has to carry on the Monday when the Olympics are over.

“I now think it’s a matter for those who run basketball in the UK to argue, discuss how to make the sport a success, how are they going to move forward after the Olympics, (so) that the funding won’t stop, that the whole GB team won’t disappear.”

When London was awarded the 2012 Olympics, FIBA announced it wanted to be assured that Britain’s teams would be competitive before they would be allowed to take up spots normally reserved for host nations.

“It’s time for the leaders of basketball to put a plan together to ensure a legacy of basketball after London," Baumann said. “I’m confident that FIBA will take the right decision.

“The regulations provide the central board with the right to invite or not the host teams.”

Baumann also hailed the success of the 3-on-3 basketball at this summer’s Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

“It was a great success story the youth event,” Baumann said.

“It has the advantage of bringing closer the nations for our sports.”

Baumann even cited the one game in which the Central African Republic pushed the United States to the very end in a battle to reach the Quarter-Finals.

“I think there is out there a large basketball community that doesn't go to clubs and they play basketball,” he said.

“They want to be part of the family. It's cheaper to play and especially for islands, who don't have 24 players available.”

He says the format was well received.

“It has been a very interesting exercise. You don't have timeouts, it's not the coach that makes the decisions but the players,” Baumann said.

“This is very fast game. It allows players to concentrate on basic skills and to have players to take choices and decide."

Baumann also revealed that Greece’s Antonis Fotsis and Sofoklis Schortsanitis had appealed against the two-game suspensions levied against them for fighting in a recent friendly against Serbia.

Milos Teodosic and Nenad Krstic of Serbia received two- and three-game bans but did not appeal.

The FIBA Appeals Commission dismissed the appeals by the Greek players and Baumann said: “The FIBA rules simply stand for basketball being a clean game, we play by the rules whether it's a friendly game or a competition. The behavior of a sportsman has to be exemplary.

“If you represent national team, you have an added responsibility because more people are watching.

"We are not in favor of violence and therefore we sanctioned those players."

Balci also offered some comments.

“I’m very tired, but very happy because the first basketball game is about to have its tip-off,” he said.

“I’ve been at the basketball for the last 36 years. I don’t even remember the number of European Championships I’ve been to in the last 36 years.

But I have observed that this organization is much different to the others.

One of the biggest things missing after receiving the tournament was the facilities and in the last four years, I have to confess the most time consuming item was the facilities we have had to work on.

“But we set sail to deliver the best organization and put a lot of work into it.

“We always felt this support and existence of FIBA when carrying all of this out.

“So starting from the Secretary General, I’d like to thank each of them because without their support, their approach, we wouldn’t be here without them.”

FIBA