http://gty.im/454615396
Basketball’s governing body FIBA have today announced that the Mexican Basketball Federation [ADEMEBA] have been suspended from all international activity.
The ruling is due to an “unresolved institutional situation”.
Full release, issued this morning.
FIBA on Friday announced the suspension of the Mexican Basketball Federation (ADEMEBA) due to the unresolved institutional situation that the national governing body is currently experiencing.
Over the summer, FIBA and FIBA Americas representatives met with the Mexican Minister for Sport who confirmed that the Mexican state authorities in charge of sport (CONADE) would be in a position to formally recognise ADEMEBA within a period of several weeks.
Despite FIBA granting ADEMEBA additional time to formalise such recognition by CONADE, ADEMEBA has still not been recognised as the governing body for basketball in Mexico and a further request for postponement was presented to FIBA on 20 November 2015. The FIBA Executive Committee is of the opinion that in view of the upcoming competitions in 2016 a further delay is not acceptable.
In line with the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s recommendations, FIBA’s Executive Committee notes and supports the fact that the Mexican sport authorities seek to improve proper governance in national sport organisations. At the same time, however, FIBA’s Executive Committee considers that the recognition process of ADEMEBA cannot be combined with the composition of the decisional bodies within ADEMEBA as suggested by CONADE. This is a clear interference in the autonomy of the national federation, causing unacceptable instability within ADEMEBA’s structures and management. In addition, two organisations still exist in the country and allegedly act as the national governing bodies for basketball and a number of independent leagues operate in Mexico without proper coordination with and through a recognised national governing body. These elements not only violate the FIBA General Statutes but also prevent a healthy governance of the sport in the country, as highlighted in a number of administrative difficulties with other FIBA members and in the organisation of the FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico this summer.
The Executive Committee, in its decision addressed to ADEMEBA, also stressed the sense of urgency for officials (sport and state) in Mexico to come together and sort out any differences they may have for the good development of basketball and for the benefit of the Mexican basketball athletes.
This suspension will stand until the institutional situation in Mexico permits ADEMEBA to function and manage its affairs autonomously, with the full recognition and support of all relevant national sport and state authorities.
