FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann dead at 51

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – FIBA onfirmed the passing of Patrick Baumann, FIBA secretary general and International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, on Sunday, October 14. He was 51.

Baumann succumbed to a heart attack during the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) here.

“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,” FIBA said in a released statement.

Baumann served as secretary general since 2002.

“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,” said FIBA president Horacio Muratore. 

“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.”

Muratore added that FIBA will be “forever indebted” to Baumann and noted his “unwavering commitment, tireless work ethic and pure passion for basketball.”

A Swiss national born on August 5, 1967, Baumann was a former player, coach and referee who first joined FIBA as a lawyer in 1994 and was appointed FIBA deputy secretary general in 1995.

In 2002, he was unanimously appointed FIBA secretary general by the FIBA Central Board. As such, he became only the third FIBA secretary general, after Dr. William Jones and Borislav Stankovic.

Baumann officially started his term of office in 2003, a position he held until his death.

He had an impressive educational background including an MBA from the Business School of the University of Chicago, a Masters in Sports Administration Management (MEMOS) from the University of Lyon in France and a law degree from the University of Lausanne.

Baumann became a member of the IOC in 2007. 

“This is a great shock which has hit us all very hard,” said IOC president Thomas Bach.“We can hardly believe this terrible news. Particularly since, even today, we have seen him working hard, as we always knew him, for the sport he loved. We lose a young and sympathetic leader full of hope who was standing for the future of sport. Our thoughts are with his wife, his children and his family.”

To honor the memory of Baumann, the IOC president asked for the Olympic flag to be flown at half-mast at the IOC headquarters and at the IOC headquarters at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires for 3 days. The IOC will also hold a memorial in the Youth Olympic Village. – Rappler.com