FIBA: 'Germany, Czech Republic, Georgia and Italy to co-host FIBA EuroBasket 2021'

Germany, Czech Republic, Georgia and Italy to co-host FIBA EuroBasket 2021

Stephan Mayer - Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of the Interior, Building and Community, Ingo Weiss - President of German Basketball Federation, Wolfgang Brenscheidt - Secretary General of the German Basketball Federation and the rest of the German delegation with FIBA President Horacio Muratore, FIBA Europe President Turgay Demirel, FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis and FIBA Executive Director Europe Kamil Novak

JULY 15, 2019 MUNICH (Germany) - Germany, Czech Republic, Georgia and Italy are confirmed as the four co-host nations of FIBA EuroBasket 2021 at the official announcement ceremony held at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel today. Following on from the success of EuroBasket 2015 and 2017, which both were hosted by multiple countries, the FIBA Europe Board opted to follow the same path for the 2021 edition of Europe's premier basketball competition and award four countries with hosting. During today's ceremony in Munich, the Board heard presentations from seven different nations, all bidding for a piece of EuroBasket. Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Georgia, Hungary, Italy and Slovenia all put in impressive bids. In the event, attended by FIBA President Horacio Muratore, FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis and FIBA Executive Director Europe Kamil Novak, President of FIBA Europe Turgay Demirel made the official announcement with Germany being awarded both the Group Phase, to be played in Cologne, and the Final Phase to be played in Berlin. Prague (CZE), Tbilisi (GEO), and Milan (ITA) will each stage Group Phases.

Michal Konecny - Secretary General of Czech Basketball Federation, Jiri Welsch - Men's Youth Basketball Director of Czech Basketball Federation, Pavel Pumprla - Czech national team captain, famous model Karolina Kurkova with FIBA President Horacio Muratore, FIBA Europe President Turgay Demirel, FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis and FIBA Executive Director Europe Kamil Novak

Salome Zourabichvili - President of Georgia, Paata Guraspauli - President of the Georgian Basketball Federation,Tornike Shengelia - captain of the Georgian national team and the rest of the Georgian delegation with FIBA President Horacio Muratore, FIBA Europe President Turgay Demirel, FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis and FIBA Executive Director Europe Kamil Novak

Maurizio Bertea - Secretary General of Italian Basketball Federation, Italian basketball legend Dino Meneghin, Antonio Santamaria - Managing Director of Local Organizing Committee and the rest of the Italian delegation with FIBA President Horacio Muratore, FIBA Europe President Turgay Demirel, FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis and FIBA Executive Director Europe Kamil Novak

FIBA Europe President Turgay Demirel commented: "We are extremely happy with today's decision to continue our tradition of multi-hosting. The 2021 edition will bring both experience and new ideas with Germany already hosting the EuroBasket four times, most recently in the Group Phase of the 2015 edition, and Georgia coming in as a first time organizer. All four co-hosts are passionate basketball nations."   

FIBA EuroBasket 2021 will take place in the month of September, which will be the first since it was agreed to take place ever four years, rather than two. The FIBA EuroBasket 2021 Qualifiers will be played across three windows in February and November 2020 and then February 2021.