GENEVA/GUATEMALA CITY (FIBA) – The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) is happy to announce that its Secretary General, Patrick Baumann (Switzerland), has been elected IOC member today.

Mr. Baumann’s election as IOC member has been made a few hours ago during the final day of the International Olympic Committee’s 119th Session held in Guatemala City (Guatemala), a session which was attended by a FIBA delegation composed of its President, Bob Elphinston, its Secretary General, Patrick Baumann, and its Secretary General Emeritus, Borislav Stanković.

In addition to Mr. Baumann, three other international sports leaders have been elected today as IOC members: International Equestrian Federation President HRH Princess Haya Bint Al-Hussein (United Arab Emirates), Columbian Olympic Committee President Andrés Botero (Colombia) and Indonesian Olympic Committee President Rita Subowo (Indonesia).

“Patrick Baumann’s election as an IOC member is a very well deserved. The election of FIBA’s Secretary General clearly demonstrates the strong position of basketball in the global sport and Olympic landscape. It also recognises the significant contribution already made by Mr. Baumann in the Olympic movement. Patrick follows in the footsteps of FIBA Secretary General Emeritus and honorary IOC member Borislav Stanković, who served as an IOC member for 18 years (1988-2005)”, stated FIBA President Bob Elphinston.

Patrick Baumann, who is currently a member of the IOC’s Coordination Commission for the London 2012 Olympic Games and was previously a member of the IOC’s Evaluation Commission for the 2008 Olympic Games, was born in Basel, Switzerland, on 5th August 1967. Mr. Baumann first joined FIBA in 1994 and was appointed Deputy Secretary General in 1995. On 29th August 2002 he was unanimously appointed Secretary General by the Central Board of this International Basketball Federation. His term of office commenced on 1st January 2003. The FIBA Central Board unanimously proposed Mr. Baumann’s candidature to IOC membership in December 2004 in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).

The educational background of the Secretary General of FIBA includes an MBA from the Business School of the University of Chicago (U.S.A.), a Master in Sports Administration Management -MEMOS- from the University of Lyon (France) and a Law Degree from the University of Lausanne (Switzerland). In addition, the newly elected IOC member has been a basketball player, a coach and a referee in Switzerland and Italy. Mr. Baumann, who speaks five languages, is married and has two children.