Hamane Niang steps down from FIBA President position / News - Basketnews.com

Hamane Niang's term at the helm of FIBA is officially over, as the world federation will hold a congress to elect the new chairman.

Credit: Federico Gambarini/dpa - Scanpix Credit Federico Gambarini/dpa - Scanpix

FIBA president Hamane Niang is stepping down following the completion of a 4-year tenure in office.

The former president of the Malian Basketball Federation (1999-2007) was the President of FIBA Africa since 2014 before assuming the duties of the leader of the entire world's basketball entity.

Niang, 71, was unanimously elected as the 13th FIBA President on August 29, 2019, during the elective Congress in Beijing, China.

The former Mali Minister of Sports presided over FIBA Africa for the 2014–2019 term of office and was a member of the FIBA Central Board during the same period.

He served as Vice President of FIBA from 2014 to 2019. From 2001 to 2014, Niang was president of the FIBA Africa Council for Finances.

"It's been a privilege for me to serve this organization during one of the most difficult periods in the history of international basketball. We had to contend with various serious challenges, none more so than the COVID-19 pandemic and the outbreak of war in Ukraine - both horrific in their effects on human beings," Niang reflected in an interview with FIBA's website.

"Over the last four years, FIBA has worked tirelessly to enlarge the basketball family. For the first time ever, the World Cup will take place in three countries in 2023 – the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia – with a combined population of more than half a billion people, taking the game into whole new territories," Niang further reflected.

"In another first for our sport, the next men's World Cup, Qatar 2027, will take the tournament into the Middle East in the capital city of Doha. The Qatar Basketball Federation successfully presented a bid that offers a unique compact geographical nature for our flagship event, with flexible tournament venue scheduling and a strong emphasis on sustainability."

The outgoing FIBA president also mentioned FIBA's collaboration with the NBA to introduce the Basketball Africa League in May 2021.

"A competition opened to the best club sides in Africa, with teams taking part from all around the continent. It is an incredible accomplishment that this competition is now in its third year, taking place in a state-of-the-art venue in Kigali, Rwanda," he said.

"It has also been very heartening for me to personally witness the growing basketball infrastructure in other parts of Africa, including Libreville, Gabon, and Dakar, Senegal."

On August 23-24, a FIBA Congress will be held in Manila, Philippines, to elect the new president of the organization. FIBA's next president will come from Asia to serve the term between 2023 and 2027.

More than 160 National Federations from around the globe should attend the Congress, and as well as the new FIBA President, the Congress will include an election of the Treasurer and also the Central Board for a new four-year mandate.

When the next term ends, the next FIBA president will come from Oceania (2027-2031), followed by Europe (2031-2035) and the Americas (2035-2039).

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