Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 30 July (BelTA) - Belarus has every chance to become host of major basketball tournaments, Secretary General of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Patric Baumann said in an interview with the Belarus 1 TV channel, BelTA has learned.

"I am very happy to be in Belarus and see the result of several-month preparations. Your federation did a great job. Hotels, venues and everything else were great. The facilities are located nearby which is convenient. I talked to different teams and they too were happy with the level of organization, from infrastructure to meals,” Patric Baumann noted.

Patrick Baumann said that Belarus women’s basketball team is strong and suggested picking up the players from the current U17 team for the national team to play in the next major event. It was nice for the girls to see the support from the home crowd. This motivates them to move forward. But they need to learn how to win matches. And then Belarus will be the host of major tournaments, Patrick Baumann noted.

Patrick Baumann said that his profession is a real gift when you love sport. “It is always the center of attention. We see more TV coverage and more people at the stadiums. Accordingly, sport is getting more commercialized. But we must understand that we are in the sport not for the money. Competitions should first and foremost be honest, for people. Our task is to make sure sport does not turn into business. Not all athletes share this opinion, he noted with regret.

Doping is associated with the desire to get rich. We need to educate young people about why this path is wrong. This is what we are doing. Some decisions are politically motivated, including decisions on doping. Because politics and sport have always influenced each other. But, of course, it is a pity when conversations about sport overshadow sport itself. As an example he cited the situation with Team Russia at the Olympic Games in Rio.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and sports federations, according to Patrick Baumann, should have very clear rules and transparency in procedures and decisions. But athletes, coaches and doctors should, too, remember about their responsibility and risks.

On 21-29 July Minsk hosted the FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup. Competing in the tournament were 16 teams. Belarus won the right to take part in the event as the host nation.