FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann Passes Away

The Basketball World is currently mourning the loss of FIBA Secretary General and International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, Patrick Baumann, who passed away on Sunday. Baumann, who was 51 years old, was attending the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina when he suddenly suffered a heart attack.

Baumann has been the FIBA’s Secretary General since 2002. He became a member of the IOC in 2007. To honor Baumann’s memory, the Olympic flag will be flown at half-mast at its headquarters and the IOC headquarters at the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina.

FIBA President Horacio Muratore issued this statement:

“On behalf of the entire FIBA family, I wish to express our deepest sympathies and pass on our condolences to Patrick’s wife Patricia, their family and loved ones. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this very difficult time.”

“Patrick was at the forefront of FIBA making radical changes to its governance structure, successfully building and moving into its own state-of-the-art Headquarters outside of Geneva as well as launching 3×3, its urban discipline which became a part of basketball’s program at the Olympics. He was also instrumental in the process of ‘ONE FIBA’, the coming together of all of FIBA’s Regional Offices into one corporate group, with everyone looking and heading in the same direction for the best interests of our beloved sport. Last but not least, he led the way in the creation and implementation of FIBA’s New Competition System.”

Patrick Baumann is survived by his wife and two children.