By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Mr. Mainini was unanimously elected as the 11th FIBA President during the FIBA World Congress in Istanbul, Turkey, in September 2010.
Four years later, following the conclusion of his term of office, he was elected FIBA Honorary President and appointed President of FIBA’s Foundation, the International Basketball Foundation (IBF). In late 2017, due to health issues, Mr. Mainini had to step down from his IBF duties.
FIBA Secretary General and International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member Patrick Baumann said: “On behalf of FIBA, I wish to express our deepest sympathies and most heartfelt condolences to Yvan’s wife and family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them. Yvan was a mentor to me but also to many in the basketball family around the world who had a chance to spend hours talking with him about the game and its history.”
“We are indebted to him for all that he did in implementing concrete changes without which FIBA would not be where it is today. Thanks to his unwavering commitment and loyalty to FIBA, along with his work ethic and passion for basketball, he leaves an indelible mark in FIBA’s history.”
Mr Mainini was instrumental in FIBA building a home for itself, actively overseeing the construction of the House of Basketball, the headquarters of world basketball’s governing body since 2013. He led the reform of FIBA’s governance, which was unanimously and historically approved during the FIBA Extraordinary World Congress in March 2014. His passion for 3×3 and the expertise he brought to its advisory board were driving forces in the urban discipline reaching new heights, culminating in obtaining Olympic status in June 2017. During his inauguration speech in 2010, he also set the ground for the overhaul of FIBA’s competition system, leading to the successful implementation of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers.
Source: FIBA