Football and basketball truly global sports

GENEVA (FIBA World Championship 2006) - Basketball will stake its claim
as the world's number one indoor sport when teams gather for the FIBA
World Championship 2006 in Japan next August.

The list of 24 participating countries is now complete after four wild
cards were handed out at the end of November, and there is a striking
resemblance between the global distribution of teams heading to the FIBA
World Championship and those going to soccer's FIFA World Cup in Germany
next summer.

In basketball, Europe will be best represented in Japan with nine teams
(37.5% of the field), ahead of the Americas which have six teams (25%).
Asia has four teams (16.6%), including hosts Japan, while Africa three
(12.5%) and Oceania two (8.3%).

Compare that with the FIFA World Cup, to which Europe will send 14 teams
(43.8% of the field of 32), the Americas eight teams (25%), Africa five
teams (15.6%), Asia four teams (12.5%) and Oceania one (3.1%).

The close comparison to the world's number one outdoor sport represents
a fair global distribution as nations like Angola, Senegal and Nigeria
emerging in Africa with the talent to take on traditional powers in
Europe and the Americas.

Angola finished 11th in the last FIBA World Championship and went to the
Olympic Games with high hopes before Mario Palma's best laid plans were
undone by the loss of star Miguel Lutonda to injury.

For the first time in history, Africa and Asia will be represented at
FIBA's most prestigious event with three and four teams, respectively
This may serve as a catalyst for the game on these continents to develop
even faster than it already is.

Asia and Africa are often referred to as "sleeping giants" when it comes
to basketball. Patrick Baumann, the FIBA Secreatry General, hopes for a
boost in those regions.

He said: "There is no better development program than competition on the
highest level. The African and Asian teams competing in Japan will gain
huge experience and they might even be good for a surprise. And this
will trickle down to their regions."

Performances at the FIBA World Championship can lead directly to Olympic
qualification as the champions and the hosts both receive one of the 12
Olympic places.

<http://www.fiba.com/pages/en/news/latest_news_article.asp?r_act_news=
10347&r_cat=8&page=5>

In rec.sport.basketball.pro on 13 Dec 2005 11:57:26 -0800 rst wrote:

>In the U.S., the NBA is unwatchable now.

My advice is to get a satellite dish.
--

all the best,
ed

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