MIES, Switzerland (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, and the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB), on Wednesday unveiled the personalised custom-made official courts and backstop units that will be used at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
For the first time ever, the six cities hosting the action - Barcelona, Bilbao, Gran Canaria, Granada, Madrid and Sevilla - each have their individual colour scheme as part of FIBA's efforts to take the brand identity of its flagship event to a new level. Athletes and teams will benefit from the consistent quality of products across the six playing venues.
The respective colours will be on full display during the competition, on the specially-designed portable QuickLock™ wooden courts provided by Connor Sports, and the championship-level Super SAM 325 backstop units provided by Schelde Sports.
Click here to watch an animation with the unique court and basket designs for the six host cities.
Connor Sports is part of Connor Sports Court International (CSCI) and has been a FIBA Equipment & Venue Centre Partner since 1994 as well as the Official Technical Supplier of FIBA for the period 2013-2016. It has produced six unique playing surfaces, one for each of the cities hosting the action in the 2014 edition of the world’s biggest national team basketball tournament.
"When FIBA approached us with the challenge of creating six courts, all uniquely branded, for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, we were truly honoured," said Ron Cerny, CEO of Connor Sports.
"When you see the court unveiling today, you will notice that each court is uniquely designed to signify the location of the city, but what you won't see is that all of the courts are identical in technical performance and safety to assure a consistent playing surface for what will be the best basketball tournament in the world."
Schelde Sports is one of the leading brands of JF International, as well as a founding partner of the FIBA Equipment & Venue Centre and an Official Technical Supplier of FIBA for the period of 2013-2014. It is supplying 18 Super Sam 325 backstop units in six different designs to each of the host cities.
"We are extremely proud to cooperate with FIBA and the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB) for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. It is the first time that we have customised our Super SAM for a competition and we are proud to present them at this unique event," said Bart Prinssen, Export Manager of JF International.
Jose Luis Saez, President of the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB), said: "This is a great opportunity for the six cities hosting the FIBA Basketball World Cup to achieve a high level of visibility around the world. Having the same court and basket providers for each host venue ensures the best possible quality for all the players."
FIBA Secretary General and International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member Patrick Baumann said: "We are very proud to reveal these colourful courts and baskets which will catch the eye of spectators and fans at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, both in the venues as well as on-screen. In doing this, we ensure a unique look and feel for each of the six host cities.
"We are thankful to Connor Sports and Schelde Sports for taking on the challenge of creating these unique and state-of-the-art facilities."
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