News

CENTRAL BOARD APPROVES FINALIZED VERSION OF FIBA WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM COMPETITION SYSTEM COMING INTO EFFECT IN 2019

18/06/2018

June 17, 2018
MIES, Switzerland – At its meeting on Saturday-Sunday, June 16-17, FIBA’s Central Board approved the finalized version of the FIBA Women’s National Team Competitions System that will come into effect in November 2019. The new system sets out the road to all of FIBA’s main women’s events – the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, the Women’s Olympic Basketball Tournament and the FIBA Women’s Continental Cups – over a four-year cycle, starting with the period 2019-2022.
The Central Board firmly believes this new system is a major step forward and presents a great opportunity to get the most out of the untapped potential in the women’s game. Much like the new competition system launched for the men in November 2017 with the start of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers, this one specially devised for the women will make it possible to:

  1. establish a clear ‘Road to’ the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup during which teams will earn their places for the showpiece event by way of Qualifiers, instead of through the FIBA Women’s Continental Cups.
  2. enable Continental Cups to be the ultimate standalone tournaments where regional champions are crowned.
  3. clarify the qualifying process for all other women’s competitions, with a separation of events’ qualifiers.
  4. enhance the exposure of women’s basketball with more regular national team activity in all regions throughout the year.
  5. increase inclusion and competitiveness as more teams and players participate in each region’s qualification phase.

Why the changes?

  1. Establish clarity in the qualification process for all women’s competition, with a clear separation of events’ qualifiers.
  2. Enhance exposure of women’s basketball with more regular national team activity in all regions during the season.
  3. Increased inclusion and competitiveness with more teams and players participating in the qualification phase in each region and only the very best making it through to the decisive rounds.
  4. Develop National Federations through the women’s game and the regular organization of tournaments at home. This will help the Federations grow their skills and push them to find new opportunities.