FIBA announce members of newly created Safeguarding Council
FIBA has announced the members of its newly created Safeguarding Council, an advisory body on matters related to safeguarding and protection of vulnerable groups of basketball participants.
The Safeguarding Council will submit advice on helping to provide a safe environment for FIBA stakeholders and also address other related matters.
His Royal Highness, Prince Feisal Al Hussein, was appointed Founding Chairman of the Safeguarding Council at the previous FIBA Central Board meeting held at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball. HRH is an International Olympic Committee member and President of the National Olympic Committee of Jordan.
HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein said: "In our ever-evolving world of sport and Olympism, safeguarding principles and standards have become instrumental tools in ensuring that everyone practices, plays and experiences sport in a free and safe way, protected from all types of harm and abuse.
"Ensuring that sport is a respectful and equitable environment for everyone involved takes time and effort and demands decision making that answers today's challenges and clears the path for the participation of tomorrow's youth. The proactive steps that FIBA is taking to ensure the sport of basketball is accessible and safe are the right steps forward, at the right moment."
FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis said: "FIBA has taken an important step by forming an independent advisory body to address issues related to safeguarding. The safety of the basketball community within the remit of FIBA is a priority for the Central Board. The Safeguarding Council will count on the wealth of experience and know-how of its members as well as on the support of FIBA, in order to play a significant role in the protection of our members, with an emphasis on players."
In consultation with the Founding Chairman, six additional members have been appointed to the FIBA Safeguarding Council and are Slovakia's four-time Olympian Danka Bartekova, FIBA Americas President Carol Callan, basketball star Astou Ndour-Fall, Romanian Basketball Federation President Carmen Tocala, award-winning journalist Alan Abrahamson and FIBA Chief Operating Officer Patrick Mariller, with the majority of the Council being independent members.
Bartekova excels in the women's skeet event and was the world record holder in 2008 with multiple medals from World and European Championships. She has a PhD in International Relations and Diplomacy and has served as Vice-President of the Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee since 2021. Bartekova is a member of various commissions and is an IOC member. She was a member of the IOC Ethics Committee from 2018 to 2022 and was Chair of the Coordination Commission of the Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne 2020.
Callan served as USA Basketball Women's National Director for numerous years before being confirmed as FIBA Americas President in June 2020. She has been a member of several USA Basketball committees and plays an integral role in FIBA's Women in Basketball strategic priority.
Ndour-Fall is a decorated member of Spain's national team. A silver medalist at the 2016 Olympics, Ndour helped Spain finish third at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018 and was the following year MVP of the FIBA Women's EuroBasket after leading her country to the top of the podium.
Tocala, President of the Romanian Basketball Federation, was a basketball player and then a coach for Romania's national team and has served as a FIBA Europe Board member since 2010. She is currently a FIBA Central Board and Executive Committee member.
Abrahamson is a best-selling author and has more than 30 years of experience covering sports, hard news, features, legal affairs, business, politics and doing investigative reporting. With a background in law, he is a member of the IOC Press Committee and an Associate Professor at the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.