The President of FIBA Europe, Jorge Garbajosa, is visiting Kosovo, where he is participating in several important activities and meetings related to the development of basketball.
In an interview with KosovaPress, Garbajosa highly praised the cooperation with the Basketball Federation of Kosovo (FBK) and the progress of basketball in the country.
“When you come to a country like Kosovo, there are many things to do. For example, the two main reasons were the Youth Commission meeting and the Under-14 meeting, which is one of our key programs. Of course, for us, EuroBasket for men, women, and seniors is very important, but as FIBA Europe, as a team in Munich, we spend more time and effort on youth programs, and Under-14 is where it all begins. We also have several meetings here, including one this morning with the Ministry, the Minister of Sports and Culture, and his team. There is a lot to do here, but for me, it is not an effort at all because I am here to do what I love, in a country that I love as well,” Garbajosa said.
He praised the cooperation between FIBA Europe and the Basketball Federation of Kosovo, emphasizing that Kosovo’s inclusion in this family is a true honor.
“First of all, for me—and I can speak on behalf of the entire FIBA Europe board—having Kosovo as part of our ecosystem, as part of our family, is a real honor. Not only because we have an excellent relationship with President Fetahu, who is also a board member of FIBA Europe, but also because of the level of cooperation and proactivity. When you are a European federation and want to achieve a lot, you need countries that cooperate with you. And Kosovo is always ready to organize, in this case the Under-14 Meeting and the Youth Commission, but also many other activities like the Youth EuroBasket and various summer programs here. That is excellent,” he added.
Garbajosa stated that Europe is going through an important restructuring phase in competitions, aimed at creating more development opportunities for all clubs.
“Last night, we had a very fruitful meeting with President and Secretary General Mr. Novak, as well as Ms. Dushku, discussing how we can create a scenario where national teams, federations, and clubs can all develop. We are at a very interesting moment in Europe regarding what we call the ‘reform’ of the competition pyramid—not just in Europe, but specifically in Europe—where we need to give opportunities to clubs, including non-traditional clubs, to participate in competitions. I have several former players who are now good friends and are responsible for or owners of clubs. They ask me for the same thing: this is not just for top clubs; mid-level clubs, those that do not traditionally participate in national competitions, should also have the opportunity to develop. We are working on this; the competitions commission is working on it. We are fortunate and happy to know that every year we need to expand competitions, for men and women, because many countries want to participate. We cannot isolate just one country; this is happening across Europe, and we need to take the right measures in the near future,” he concluded.
During the day, FIBA Europe President Jorge Garbajosa, together with FIBA Europe Executive Director Kamil Novak and FBK leaders—President Arben Fetahu and Secretary General Elvira Dushku—were received by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Hajrulla Çeku, Deputy Minister Daulina Osmani, Secretary General Bislim Bislimi, and Fidan Shatri, CEO of the Kosovo Sports Agency.
