Long-time member of FIBA Family, Aldo Vitale, passes away

MIES (Switzerland) - The FIBA Family is in mourning after learning of the death of Aldo Vitale, one of the initiators of the FIBA Equipment & Venue Centre, former FIBA Vice President and a long-time contributor to international basketball.

Vitale, an Italian, was 91 years old. He served the sport in numerous capacities.

Vitale was a long-standing member of the important FIBA European Cup Commission (1966-1984) during a period that coincided with his role as Italy's Lega A Women's President from 1979 to 1984. Later he was a FIBA Women's Basketball Commission member from 1984 to 1990, President of the FIBA Standing Conference for Europe (predecessor to FIBA Europe) from 1990 to 1996 and FIBA Vice President from 1994 to 1996.

An important part of Vitale's legacy is that he was also the Founder and first Director of the FIBA Equipment and Venue Centre (1993), then known as the FIBA Study Centre, which sets the standards for basketball equipment and facilities, ensuring that they fulfill the strict requirements of high-level basketball competitions. He served in various roles next to then-Secretary General Borislav Stankovic and later Patrick Baumann until 2011.

"It's a very sad day to hear of Aldo Vitale's death. Yet we can celebrate the memory of a man who was a crucial member of FIBA in so many respects. He had a great passion for basketball, and especially women's basketball, and his recognition within the European continent and beyond was a testament to his contributions to FIBA throughout five decades," said FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis.

Vitale's other roles in the sport can be found in his FIBA Hall of Fame biography. He was inducted to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2013 and, five years before that, was ushered into the Italian Basketball Hall of Fame.

FIBA