President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with President of
the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani. The
parties discussed the development of grassroots and professional basketball,
the training of young athletes, and the implementation of joint projects. The
Head of State noted the growing popularity in Kazakhstan of the promising 3x3
basketball format. President Tokayev also highly praised the support provided
by FIBA to Kazakhstan’s basketball. For his part, the FIBA President expressed
his sincere gratitude to the President for supporting basketball in Kazakhstan
and spoke about plans to promote the sport. The Head of State awarded Sheikh
Saud Ali Al Thani the Order of Dostyk, 2nd Class, for his contribution to the
development of basketball in Kazakhstan.
«I believe that your visit is extremely important in
terms of enhancing cooperation between our national federation and Kazakhstan
as a whole with FIBA. We are marking the one hundredth anniversary of the
history of basketball in Kazakhstan. We want to enhance the development of
basketball, to put it on a very high level. Taking this opportunity, of course,
I would like to once again say that we will be committed to our ties with FIBA,»
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted.
«No doubt that Kazakhstan is very important for FIBA
and a very important basketball country in our continent, the Asian continent.
We have very active people trying to do the best for basketball. But you know
the sport, usually the sport, sometimes up, sometimes down, because it depends
on the generation of the time. I am glad to attend the 100th anniversary of the
federation and to come to this beautiful country,» Saud Ali Al Thani said.
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