26 Federations take FIBA Europe to arbitration!!

FIBA Europe president Olafur Rafnsson

Representatives from Russian and Lithuanian Basketball Federations have confirmed to media that 26 national federations have sued http://www.fibaeurope.com/FIBA Europe in Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, for not obeying its own statutes.

Following the firing of FIBA Europe General Secretary Nar Zanolin by the president of FIBA Europe Olafur Rafnsson, 26 national federations (28 according to Lithuanian media) requested to hold an emergency meeting of the General Assembly.

FIBA Europe has not held such meeting, even though the statutes dictate that if 15 or more federations request it, it has to be held within 60 days of the request.

At the core of the conflict is really a fight between FIBA World and FIBA Europe, where FIBA World wants a four-year competition cycle, while FIBA Europe wants a two year.

Nar  Zanolin – acting without the approval of FIBA Europe president Olafur Rafnsson – sent letters to many national basketball federations in order to gain their support for this move and retain the current Eurobasket format, meaning a competition of 24 teams every two years.

For this unauthorized act he was fired after an emergency meeting of FIBA Europe’s executive committee headed by President Olafur Rafnsson. Some Federations are going so far as to demand that FIBA Europe breaks away from FIBA World.

Behind the scenes, there is also dissatisfaction the person of Olafur Rafnsson. Several National Federations feel that the President of FIBA Europe should not be from a small (basketball) country like Iceland but a much bigger country with more basketball tradition.