NAGPUR: In a major first for basketball in India, head of Indian federation K Govindaraj has been nominated as new president of FIBA Asia.
Basketball Federation of India (BFI) president Govindaraj will lead FIBA's most vivid and varied zone in terms of cultures, languages and regions. Bengaluru MLC Govindaraj will replace Qatar’s Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani, who was serving his fourth five-year term as head of FIBA Asia since 2002.
Apart from Asia, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has four other regions, namely Africa, America, Europe and Oceania.
Govindaraj’s nomination will be formally ratified in the FIBA Asia Elective Congress in a few weeks, and he will become the first Indian ever to occupy Asian basketball's top spot. He will lead the 45-member FIBA Asia Congress of National Federations. Govindaraj is currently serving as senior most member of the FIBA Asia Board.
In 1960, Ambrosia Padilla of Philippines became the first FIBA Asia and served the continent for six years, Malaysia’s Khaw Kai-Boh led the region from 1967 to1971. Korea’s Lee Byung-Hee served as the regional head from 1871 to 1988 and Carl Ching Men-Ky of Hong Kong headed FIBA Asia from 1988 to 2002 before Qatar’s Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani took over in 2002.
On grabbing Asia’s top position, Govindaraj said, "It's an honour for the entire Indian sports fraternity to get an opportunity and responsibility to be at the helm of affairs of Asian basketball, and help in the development of basketball in Asia.”
He added, “It is also an acknowledgment of sorts for all the good development work we have put together in taking Indian basketball forward. I take this opportunity to thank all my past, present and future colleagues in the Basketball Federation of India, especially current secretary general Chander Mukhi Sharma, without whose support we could not have achieved what we did in recent times."
“I also thank FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis and FIBA executive director in Asia Hago Khajirian for reposing faith in me and providing me this opportunity to serve the game of basketball," he added.
“I may have become FIBA Asia president, but my heart will always remain as BFI president, and I promise to deliver everything Indian basketball deserves and needs," he said.
