Van Den Spiegel elected President of ULEB

BARCELONA - Former Belgian international and current FIBA Players' Commission member Tomas Van Den Spiegel on Thursday was elected President of the Union of European Basketball Leagues (ULEB) at its Assembly in Barcelona, Spain.

The 38-year-old becomes the third president in ULEB's 25-year existence, succeeding Spain's Eduardo Portelo who was appointed as Honorary President of ULEB in an unanimous decision by the Assembly.

Van Den Spiegel, whose candidacy was proposed by the Belgian Pro Basketball League, will serve a four-year term of office.

"It's an honour to come after Mr Portela who has meant a lot to basketball over the past decades first as a player, then as a coach, then in the ACB and finally in ULEB. So I'm very honoured to be his successor," he told FIBA.com.

"I think ULEB still has a great role to play within European basketball representing as many leagues as possible and with the task of improving basketball at all levels."

Van Den Spiegel admitted that when he brought his playing career to a close in 2013 he could not have imagined being where he is today.

"When I retired three years ago I never would have thought of being in this position today because I had some physical issues as a player and I didn't want to see a basketball or a court from anywhere near for quite a while, until last year when I became a member of FIBA's Players' Commission and I gained an interest in the institutional side of basketball," he recalled.

"With the help of the Belgian league, who put my name forward, I was able to get in this position and I think I am very dynamic, I have energy and some time on my hands. I am very motivated to make the most of the coming four years."

FIBA