Friday morning, the main session of the Concems of the International Basketball Federation “Fiba” at the Bahrain International Exhibition Center, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, Vice -President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Supreme Organizing Committee of Congress and His Excellency Mrs. Fatima bint Jaafar Al -Serafi, Minister of Tourism, with the participation of representatives of 180 national union from different continents of the world, in a global sporting event that reflects the position of the Kingdom of Bahrain as a distinctive destination for hosting Great international events.
The main session witnessed an opening speech from His Highness Sheikh Issa bin Ali Al Khalifa, who welcomed the participants, stressing that hosting this global event embodies Bahrain’s commitment to support and develop basketball at the international level, and enhance its presence in global forums.
His Excellency Sheikh Saud bin Ali Al Thani, President of the International Basketball Federation, also delivered a speech in which he stressed the importance of Congress as a strategic platform to draw the features of the next stage of the game, praising the organizational efforts made by Bahrain to make this event a success.
For his part, the Secretary -General of the International Federation, Mr. Andreas Zaqles, talked about the challenges facing global basketball and future “Fiba” plans in the areas of upgrading the game, empowering national federations and expanding this sport.
The session included an introductory visual presentation on the Kingdom of Bahrain, its most prominent history and position as a favorite destination for international sporting events, along with two recorded words; The first for the Chairman of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, who valued the efforts of the International Basketball Federation to support the Olympic Movement, and the second as the president of the elected International Olympic Committee, Kirsti Kovantry, whose duties will officially receive its duties during the next month, as it confirmed its commitment to strengthening the Olympic partnerships and the position of sports globally.
The participating delegations attended an informal reception (Cocktail) held at the Sofitel Al Zalq Hotel, a occasion for acquaintance and exchange of friendly conversations between officials of national federations and representatives of the International Federation, in a friendly atmosphere that reflects the spirit of cooperation and openness that is distinguished by the international sports community. The informal reception ceremony was attended by Mrs. Sarah Bouhaji, CEO of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority that welcomed international delegations on land Bahrain.
During the evening period, the international delegations were on a date with the “Bahraini Night” that formed a rich cultural experience inspired by the ancient Bahraini heritage, where the guests enjoyed traditional artistic and musical performances and taste authentic popular food, in an atmosphere that reflected the generosity of Bahraini hospitality and the originality of the local community, which left a positive impression on the attendees and added a distinctive cultural dimension to this event International athlete.
This event represents a milestone in the march of international cooperation between sports federations, an opportunity to exchange experiences and develop common strategies to develop basketball at all levels.
