FIBA Grant GB Automatic Place in Basketball Comp. at ’12 Games

Great Britain’s Men’s and Women’s national basketball teams will compete in next year’s Olympic Tournament at the 2012 London Games after the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) granted them automatic places at the Central Board on Sunday, March 13.

FIBA recognised that Great Britain had met the requirements set out for them, which included; proving their competitiveness on the court with both teams qualifying for
this summer’s EuroBasket tournaments and providing a solid legacy plan for the sport in the country beyond the Games of the XXX Olympiad.

The Central Board voted 16-4 in favour of Great Britain taking their place in the field of basketball teams at next year’s Olympics. However, the board re-iterated the need for British Basketball and the home nations’ (England, Scotland and Wales) federations to work towards proving their commitment to grow the game by figuring out the best governance model going forward.

FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann stated: “The Central Board took a vote on the following proposal: yes, both men’s and women’s teams should play at the Olympic Games, but by 30th June 2012 British Basketball and the home nations must figure out the best way for the future governance of the sport.

“They have until that date to decide what governance they want to go forward with after the Olympic Games end.”

The other major decision on the agenda saw Turkey awarded the next FIBA
World Championship for Women in 2014, getting the nod over Australia for the honour.