THE Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) is one with the world basketball community in mourning the passing of Fiba secretary general emeritus Boris Stankovic.
SBP president Al S. Panlilio noted one of the biggest contributions by Stankovic to Philippine basketball was bringing the World Championships (later known as FIBA World Championships) to local shores in 1978.
The event held at the Araneta Coliseum, was won by Yugoslavia led by Drazen Dalipagic, considered one of the most decorated athletes in Yugoslavian history. Dalipagic was named as one of Fiba’s Greatest Players in 1991, and later enshrined to both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Fiba Hall of Fame.
The meet also featured the great Oscar Schmidt of Brazil, one of the legends of world basketball, who is considered the all-time leading scorer in the history of the sport, including the Summer Olympics Games. The Brazilians bagged the bronze behind runner-up Soviet Union.
It was the last time the Philippines participated in the world championship until making it back to the tournament 36 years later in Spain in 2014.
The country will be co-hosting the 2023 edition of the World Cup along with Japan and Indonesia.
“We ask all Filipino basketball-loving fans to pray for Mr. Stankovic and his family,” the SBP said in a short statement on Saturday.
Stankovic passed away on Friday. He was 94.
He was involved with Fiba for a long time, first as vice secretary general, and later as full-time secretary-general from 1976 to 2002.
More than a decade after the world championships here, Stankovic made a major change in Fiba rules in 1989 that allowed NBA players and professional cagers to finally suit up and represent their respective countries in international tournaments.
A year later, the first ever Philippine men’s team to be reinforced by an all-pro selection from the PBA, competed in the 1990 Beijing Asian Games, finishing runner-up behind China.
[ArticleReco:{"articles":["101007","100999","100927","101015"], "widget":"More from spin"}]
Source: Spin PH
0 comments: