MANILA (Philippines) – As probably the most adorned FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup participant ever, the long-lasting Sue Bird will now use her star energy because the Global Ambassador for the 2026 version in Germany.
The USA legend is the one participant to have gained the ladies’s flagship occasion 4 instances after carrying out the feat by stepping out to land gold in 2002 in China, 2010 within the Czech Republic, 2014 in Turkey and 2018 in Spain. Bird additionally has 5 Olympic titles and was the flag bearer for her nation on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Delighted to have the ability to tackle the brand new place, which was acknowledged in a particular ceremony at this time in Manila, Philippines on the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, Bird acknowledged: “I really feel honored to be sitting right here at this time. Women’s basketball is at a extremely thrilling second and there’s no higher strategy to proceed this momentum for me now than as a Global Ambassador for the 2026 World Cup.
“Over the subsequent two years, with the lead-up to the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, we’re going to get to see numerous basketball and development for the ladies’s recreation. And with the expanded area for 2026, there will probably be much more alternatives for gamers and nationwide groups to dream and be bold and for followers to observe the journeys of their favourite gamers and groups.”
Bird succeeds one other iconic determine within the form of Pau Gasol, who fulfilled the ambassadorial function at Sydney in 2022, a contest that was broadly heralded as the perfect FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in historical past. The 2022 occasion had 1.1 billion impressions and 14 million engagements throughout world social platforms, with 145,000 spectators, which was the best attendance ever on the competitors.
Gasol gave a shining endorsement to Sue Bird and commented: “I’ve all the time loved watching the ladies’s recreation and it’s one thing I really feel very strongly about. Seeing the expansion of the sport, the variations and the progress made, with Kobe and Gigi as an inspiration, that is one thing that may be very near my coronary heart, and it is vital for me to proceed to observe this path.”
Meanwhile, FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis backed Bird to be a giant success within the function. He acknowledged: “Sue Bird is likely one of the first names anybody would point out when a dialogue takes place in regards to the best gamers in our sport, actually, in relation to the unprecedented success she has had at varied FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cups and Olympic Games in her unbelievable profession.
“She gave the followers such nice recollections together with her contributions when she was on the courtroom and having a legendary participant who is aware of what it takes to advertise our subsequent FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany is implausible. Sue will encourage so many individuals on this place and we will not watch for her to make an influence.”
The subsequent FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup will happen throughout September 2026 in Berlin and will probably be performed at two premium venues, specifically Arena Berlin and Max-Schmeling Halle. The former was used for the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 Final.
This would be the second time that Germany will host the ladies’s flagship match, having beforehand accomplished so in 1998.
The FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 will probably be performed with an expanded area of 16 groups.
Re-watch the Global Ambassador Announcement Press Conference here.
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About FIBA
FIBA (fiba.basketball) – the world governing physique for basketball, is an impartial affiliation shaped by 212 National Basketball Federations all through the world. It is acknowledged as the only competent authority in basketball by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
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