Lubomir Kotleba: BIBL is running well and it′s a good league

Mr. Lubomir Kotleba was one of the guests during the celebration of Kosovo federation acceptance in FIBA and for the semifinal of EUROHOLD Balkan League between KB Sigal Prishtina and KK Kozuv. The FIBA Sports Director took time from his busy schedule before the match to answer the following questions:

- You follow EUROHOLD Balkan League from its beginning. What do you think about its development over the years?
- Since it started the league was established as a solid local league that attracts teams which due to whatever reason cannot play other competitions. It′s running relatively well and I think that it′s a good league and I do hope that may be in the future you′ll be able to attract more teams from more countries if this will be the policy."

- How do you see the role of BIBL for the basketball in the Balkan region?
- It′s very important. This kind of leagues - whether it′s the Balkan league, the Baltic league or the Central-European league, are extremely important for giving the people chance to play basketball internationally on a level which fits them. Financially it′s affordable, you are not playing against teams that beat you by many points, which isn′t dissappointing, so all this brings basketball to some cities where international basketball usually is not played so it′s very strong impulse for development. I know it because I′m from Slovakia and we have teams, women ones, that are playing in this Central-European league and plenty of people are coming. So this is very important.

- You are in Kosovo for local federation′s celebration for being accepted in FIBA. You were a part of the affiliation process, so how happy you are to see this happen?
- My life philosophy, regarding FIBA, is that the role of FIBA is to allow people to play basketball. We are not here to stop them. Of course we are not the only one on the chess board and therefore the process of Kosovo was more political than sports one. We were also not happy that there are people who like to play international basketball but they cannot. Therefore we are happy that Kosovo is now a member and we are also proud that now they have the right to play internationally and  this is where the role of FIBA is - to give a chance to the people to play basketball.

- How difficult was the decision two years ago to allow Kosovo teams to play in EUROHOLD Balkan League?
- The process was very long. There was a philosophy in Kosovo regarding FIBA - either you accept us or we don′t care. This was not a very clever policy but then from the president of the federation came a different policy saying if we can send them some instructors, some referees for international clinics and step by step they started penetrating. Then when he asked if they can at least play in the Balkan League, I said that it′s difficult to say at the first moment and that I had to speak to the people from the league. I spoke to the Sports Director - Shay Shtriks and of course we understood we were talking about things which nobody can grant immediately. He had his own work done and of course the participation of Kosovo was not very much welcomed with some countries. But that′s the reality - they are people who like to play basketball and at the end the Balkan League was one of the big door openers for the recognition of Kosovo.

- After more than 50 years in basketball you are now officially retired. How is life after?
- Yes, I′m retired person now but I′m happy that FIBA likes to keep me. I′m still continuing to work for FIBA while operating from home. From time to time I show up in Geneva, few days each month, and I′m traveling and trying to make people happy playing basketball. I′m something like a political ambassador of FIBA and I′m happy with this because I′m already having a certain and it′s absolutely natural that such an organization has to think about the future."