Mizzi re-elected to FIBA Europe board
Promotion Cup gets new name
Malta Basketball Association president Antonio Mizzi (picture) was elected to the FIBA Europe board last weekend for a second four-year term after voting during a general assembly in Munich.
Magistrate Mizzi was among 36 candidates for a post on the FIBA Europe board. He finished 13th in the poll with the same amount of votes as Serbia delegate Predrag Danilovic. In all, 23 members were elected.
During the general assembly George Vassilakopoulos earned a second mandate as FIBA Europe president.
Vassilakopoulos was the only candidate after Sarunas Marciulionis announced his withdrawal just before the election.
Vassilakopoulos, of Greece, received 48 votes from the 49 national federations in attendance with one abstention. His mandate runs from 2006 to 2010.
"Let us continue together, without exceptions and exclusions of the rich or poor, powerful or weak, important or insignificant," Vassilakopoulos told delegates.
"We need to do this and if we work hard our destiny will be secure in our role to further develop the success of FIBA Europe and European basketball."
Jan Berteling, of the Netherlands, was re-elected FIBA Europe treasurer for a second consecutive term.
Last weekend, FIBA Europe also decided to change the name of the competition for small countries from Promotion Cup to European Championship C.
"We hope the name European Championship will motivate players," Small Countries Commission president John Goncalves said.
"It sounds better to say that they participated in a European Championship instead of a Promotion Cup. We hope this will lead to better participation."
There were 21 countries that have participated in Promotion Cups dating back to 1988. Malta have hosted the most events with five.
This year, the men's Promotion Cup will take place from May 29 to June 3 in Albania. The women's tournament will be played in Malta between July 18 and 23. Seven countries will take part.