Comninos, who started his speech by thanking the authorities in Serbia, said, “I would like to thank everyone who has supported us since the first day. We are very happy to be here. When choosing the host city it was important for us to choose a neutral location. Belgrade was not our first choice at the beginning of this year. However, we wanted to be innovative and forward-thinking and wanted to play this final four on an LED floor. This became our primary goal and we started looking at where and how we could do this. We also experienced some geopolitical problems this year. We should also have taken into consideration what happened between Türkiye and Israel. So we chose Belgrade. This place was both suitable for the LED floor and geopolitically appropriate. “I can say that we chose the right thing, not the easy one.” said.
‘LED floor was very interesting for players and coaches’
Stating that the LED floor, which was used for the first time in an international club tournament, was very appreciated by the players and coaches, Comninos said, “The players and coaches were very pleased with the LED floor. Frankly, the only ones who had difficulty with this were the salon employees, because they did the installation. It has been very interesting for players and coaches. This may be something we can use more in the future. We got great feedback from it, but it didn’t come as a surprise to us. FIBA has worked hard on this ground and over a thousand tests have been conducted. That’s why we don’t think there is a problem for the players. Therefore, this is a success. We now have to deal with how to make this more widely available. I must say that, as BCL, we are an organization open to technological innovations. And pushing our limits is in our DNA. “It was very difficult to bring this floor here, but it was a success and a great innovation for us.” He made a statement.
‘We have a very good relationship with TBF’
Touching on the teams participating from Turkey and BCL’s relationship with the Turkish Basketball Federation (TBF), Patrick Comninos said, “In our first year, Banvit from Turkey and then Pınar Karşıyaka in 2021 took part in the final four. Very good teams from Turkey are competing in the Basketball Champions League. This year there were 5 teams, Bursaspor and Tofaş from Bursa, Galatasaray and Darüşşafaka from Istanbul and Karşıyaka from Izmir. We believe that we will continue the good relationship we have established with TBF to promote BCL. Many clubs from the Turkish League still want to join the BCL. I always give them the same answer. Finish your local league first and let’s see the result, then we will make our decision. Next year we will have very good teams from Turkey again. I would like to take this opportunity to thank TBF for the very successful qualifying tournament they organized in Antalya at the beginning of this season. We were there at the beginning of the season and it was one of the best qualifying tournaments. We have very good relations with TBF and they make incredible efforts for the development of basketball, the Basketball Development Center in Istanbul is one of them. “We will continue to work closely with them and we hope to see a Turkish team in the final four again as soon as possible.” he said.
‘We are in talks with EuroLeague’
Comninos confirmed that there have been talks between the EuroLeague and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) in the last few months regarding the creation of a new second-tier European competition combining the EuroCup and the Basketball Champions League. “That’s right, we are currently sitting at the table with various stakeholders. There is consensus among stakeholders that something needs to change to ensure basketball generates the attention and commercial value it deserves. The biggest challenge is this. Interest in European basketball is growing, but the market is not responding. We need a market that is simpler to understand and clearer to promote. Our first topic is the possibility of unification to make a second-tier tournament more competitive. This is part of a wide range of conversations we have. What is needed in basketball is organic growth. “There needs to be an ecosystem that allows this growth.” said.
‘We try to get better every year’
Referring to the growth of the Basketball Champions League in its eighth season, Comninos said, “For us, this is a process; We try to get better every year and offer our clubs better conditions in which they can compete at a high level. As I always say, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Of course, we continue to take steps in this process. We strive to continue to improve every year and gain credibility in the community. I believe this is now created for the Basketball Champions League. We want to continue to grow and attract some of the best teams in Europe. We hope the future of basketball in Europe will develop this way. “I also have to say that everyone is praising our social media team and I have to congratulate them too, they are doing a great job.” He used his expressions.
2024-04-28 14:29:33
#BCL #CEO #Patrick #Comninos #good #relationship #Turkish #Basketball #Federation #Basketball #News
