PAKIKIRAMAY AT PAGKILALA SA FIBA SECGEN NA NAMATAY SA EVENT

INATAKE sa puso si Patrick Baumann, ang 51-anyos na secretary general ng basketball’s world governing body sa mismong kasagsagan ng idinaraos na Youth Olympics sa Buenos Aires, ayon sa International Basketball Federation (FIBA) noong Linggo.

“Basketball has lost a leader, an advocate and a friend and our thoughts are with Patrick’s wife and two children at this tragic time,” aniya.

Ayon kay FIBA President Horacio Muratore: “On behalf of the entire FIBA family, I wish to express our deepest sympathies and pass on our condolences to Patrick’s wife Patricia, their family and loved ones. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this very difficult time. Patrick was a lot more than FIBA’s Secretary General and an IOC member. He was a very close friend of mine as well as to countless people in the basketball family and the wider sport community.”

“Under his leadership, FIBA moved forward by leaps and bounds, with the organization modernizing itself to the extent of becoming a model which fellow International Federations followed. Patrick was at the forefront of FIBA making radical changes to its governance structure, successfully building and moving into its own state-of-the-art Headquarters outside of Geneva as well as launching 3x3, its urban discipline which became a part of basketball’s program at the Olympics. He was also instrumental in the process of ‘ONE FIBA’, the coming together of all of FIBA’s Regional Offices into one corporate group, with everyone looking and heading in the same direction for the best interests of our beloved sport. Last but not least, he led the way in the creation and implementation of FIBA’s New Competition System.”

Si Baumann ay dating player, coach at referee na unang pumasok sa FIBA bilang abogado noong 1994 at na-appoint bilang FIBA Secretary General noong 2002, matapos maglingkod bilang deputy.

Maimpluwensiya ang Swiss national sa Olympic circles at naging International Olympic Committee member mula noong 2007. Pinamunuan niya ang IOC panel na humahawak sa 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“This is a great shock which has hit us all very hard. We can hardly believe this terrible news. Particularly since, even today, we have seen him working hard, as we always knew him, for the sport he loved,” malung­kot na pahayag ni Thomas Bach, ang IOC president. (MC / VA)