BUENOS AIRES, Argentina/MIES, Switzerland - Nagluluksa ang international basketball community sa biglang pagpanaw ng beteranong FIBA Secretary General at International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Patrick Baumann.

Sa opisyal na pahayag ng International Basketball Federation (FIBA) inatake sa puso ang 51-anyos na si Baumann habang ginagampanan ang trabaho sa Youth Olympics sa Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“Basketball has lost a leader, an advocate and a friend and our thoughts are with Patrick’s wife and two children at this tragic time,” pahayag ng FIBA.

Tumayong Secretary General ng FIBA si Baumann mula noong 2002.

“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,” pahayag ni FIBA President Horacio Muratore.

“Patrick was a lot more than FIBA’s Secretary General and an IOC member. He was a very close friend of mine as well as to countless people in the basketball family and the wider sport community.

“Under his leadership, FIBA moved forward by leaps and bounds, with the organization modernizing itself to the extent of becoming a model which fellow International Federations followed,” aniya.

Isang Swiss national, ipinanganak si Baumann noong August 5, 1967. Naging miyembro siya ng National team, naging coach at referee bago sumapi sa FIBA bilang legal counsel noong 1994. Itinalaga siyang FIBA Deputy Secretary General noong 1995.

Noong 2002, naitalaga siyang FIBA Secretary General via unanimous ng FIBA Central Board. Siya ang ikatlong FIBA Secretary General kasunod nina Dr. William Jones at Borislav Stankovic.