ABUJA – Tunisia and Cameroon have been awarded the hosting duties for AfroBasket 2015 and AfroBasket Women 2015 respectively, FIBA Africa announced on Friday in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
The continental basketball governing body made the awards after hours of deliberations and bid presentations by Angola, Central African Republic (CAR), Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, and Tunisia.
FIBA Africa selected Tunisia as hosts of the AfroBasket 2015, the 28th edition of the championship after bid presentations.
Tunisia, who were champions at AfroBasket 2011, will host the men’s competition for the first time since 1987 and the third time since the competition’s inception.
Angola and CAR also submitted bids to host the championship, but Tunisia, who are the continent’s third highest-ranked team and 23rd in the FIBA Men’s Ranking, were chosen.
Cameroon were also picked as the host nation for the AfroBasket Women 2015, the 24th edition of FIBA Africa’s leading women’s national team tournament.
It will be the first time in Cameroonian basketball history that the country hosts the championship.
Their success was coming after the game’s visible growth and exposure in the country, including their best result — a fourth-place finish at AfroBasket Women 2013 in Maputo in Mozambique.
The Cameroonians’ bid got the nod over those from Angola and Cote d’Ivoire.
The winners of AfroBasket 2015 and AfroBasket Women 2015 will qualify directly for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The teams which finish second and third will compete in FIBA’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments for Men and Women for the remaining three berths on offer.
Meanwhile, FIBA Africa has placed Angola on standby to stage any of the two AfroBasket championships should any of Tunisia or Cameroon failed to meet up with the demands of hosting.
The body’s Central Board also approved the granting of hosting rights to a number of countries for FIBA Africa 2014 programmes.
Madagascar and Mali are to host the AfroBasket under-18 men and women championships respectively.
In the clubs category, Cote d’Ivoire will host the final round of the Africa Champions Cup for Men while Tunisia will stage the women’s version.(NAN)
