Most sports are organized from national federations which, in turn, are grouped into a supranational entity. In the case of basketball, the acronym FIBA refers to the international organization that represents this sport. FIBA means International Basketball Federation and this denomination originally comes from French, since this organization was founded in the Swiss city of Geneva. Its origins date back to 1932, a time when the sport had not become professional and was practiced in its amateur form.
Information of interest
FIBA’s goal is to promote basketball throughout the world. In this sense, there are currently more than 200 national federations.
This non-profit entity is responsible for organizing the most prestigious international competitions, such as the men’s and women’s World Cups, as well as the Olympic Games.
Like all international federations, FIBA is in charge of establishing the official basketball regulations. Likewise, it acts as a supervisory entity in the transfer of players between the different countries and appoints the referees who will participate in the major competitions.
In FIBA there are specific areas related to sports for people with disabilities (the DIBF represents basketball for the deaf and the IWBF wheelchair basketball). Likewise, FIBA is responsible for 3×3 basketball (in this modality it is played on a court with a single hoop).
Basketball has been an Olympic sport since the Berlin Olympics in 1936 (like many other sports, before its official incorporation it participated as an exhibition sport).
historical origins
At the end of the 19th century, the Canadian priest James Naismith worked at the University of Springfield (Massachusetts) as a professor of what was then called physical culture. Due to the low temperatures, the students could not practice sports outdoors. This circumstance made him think of a game that could be played in a closed area.
In 1892 James Naismith wrote the first basketball regulations, made up of 13 rules that continue to be fundamental in the practice of this sport. In 1896 the first match was held in its female form. The first balls were manufactured by the American company AC Spalding and Brothers. The first baskets used by its inventor were made from peach boxes.
Photo: Fotolia – Wickerwood / Anna Kolesnikova
