UKRAINE, HUNGARY GET EUROBASKET NOD
Ukraine will host EuroBasket 2015 with Hungary has been awarded the right to stage EuroBasket Women.
The Ukrainian bid was an automatic choice when FIBA Europe’s board met in Munich on Sunday after their sole rival, a joint bid between France, Germany, Italy and Croatia, was withdrawn on Wednesday, citing “a lack of professionalism†by the governing body.
The proposed EuroBasket 2015 venues are in the cities of Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnepropetrovsk and the capital Kyiv for the First Round with Odessa, Lviv and again Kyiv hosting the Second Round and the Final.
“This decision, it made me feel like in 1988 in Seoul when we won the Olympic gold, when you don’t feel it until it’s over, and I had that same feeling today,†said Ukrainian Basketball Federation President Oleksandr Volkov.
“We had great support from all our government and the people you saw here today, we were a united group of people who decided that after football we can also do the same for basketball.
“Ukraine is a big country and I am sure that the EuroBasket will unite it in the same way that football has done now.â€
As the sole candidate, there was little alternative but to chose the victorious package with criticism still ringing in the eyes of FIBA Europe following the rivals pull-out.
“This decision was made unanimously by the four presidents of the bidding countries due to immense doubts regarding the professionalism and the lack of trust in the bidding process conducted by the European Basketball Federation, FIBA Europe,” said the French Federation in a statement.
“We rely on values such as good governance, compliance, and transparency and base our decisions and our actions on these values,” Jean-Pierre Siutat and Ingo Weiss, presidents of the French and German federations respectively, added in a joint statement.
“This is our responsibility towards our partners, sponsors and ourselves and with this decision we assume this responsibility.”
The Hungarian bid, to be based in Budapest, defeated Belarus in a two-day vote to determine the host of EuroBasket Women 2015.
“I think it is a good choice,†said Hungary’s sports minister Attila Czene. “We will see our gorgeous women play on their home court.â€
Hungary’s bid played heavily on the potential legacy benefits and plans to invest in the sport. They will be hosting for the fourth time in the country’s history – and the first since 1997.
“First of all congratulations to Hungary and the minister, but I would also like to thank our friends from Belarus for their presentation and enthusiasm,†said FIBA Europe President Olafur Rafnsson.
“In my opinion this is an excellent choice since, as we were also reminded during the presentation, Hungary has tradition in basketball and especially in women’s basketball.â€
Slovenia and France will stage, respectively, the 2015 men’s and women’s tournaments. British Basketball has already conducted a feasibility study to determine whether to pursue a bid for a EuroBasket in 2017.
The French bid video
Candidature EuroBasket 2015 by basketfrance
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