The Chief Executive of Basketball Ireland, Bernard O’Byrne, has been appointed to a major working group of the World Governing Body for the sport, FIBA.
He will take up his new role on the FIBA Working Group on National Federations Development. The news come just months after O’Byrne’s election to the Board of FIBA Europe and his nomination as President of the FIBA Small Nations Commission.
The news came as FIBA released data confirming the success of the 2019 Basketball World Cup. The tournament increased it’s media reach by 80 percent over the last staging in 2014 and the Final alone was seen by 160 million people around the world.
Confirming the news of O’Byrne’s appointment, Andreas Zagklis, FIBA Secretary General, said that the appointment reflects his skills, experience and unfailing commitment to basketball.
It is fair to say that Ireland has had mixed fortunes with leading administrators stepping up on the World Stage.
Lord Killalin set a high benchmark when serving as President of the International Olympic Committee and Warren Deutrom delivered benefit for the sport of Cricket and for Ireland through his work on International Cricket Council committees, as did Liam Harbison in Paralympic Circles and Brian Kavanagh in horse racing.
On the downside have been the troubled falls from grace of Pat Hickey and John Delaney who both represented ireland and themselves on the IOC and the Executive Committee of UEFA.
It is important nevertheless that we should be represented at the highest levels of sport. We are a nation with a strong record in administration and diplomacy and the benefit for Ireland is significant.
O’Byrne has overseen a period of redemption and growth for Irish Basketball with the clearing of a major legacy debt running parallel to success in the domestic game and at international level.
That he should now be moving in the ever more powerful corridors of the World Game is a good thing.
“This has come completely out of the blue but I am delighted and proud both for myself and Basketball Ireland,” said O’Byrne.
“I am very much looking forward to my involvement in this work”.
Image credit: David Fitzgerald, Sportsfile
