FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027 board holds first meetings

An important first step toward the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 has been taken with FIBA and the Qatar Local Organising Committee (LOC) convening for their first meeting at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball.
The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Board, set up to oversee the flagship event planning and to make key strategic decisions ahead of the 32-team tournament, held two days of meetings with the Qatar LOC on Thursday and Friday.
The focus of the meetings was on the governance and management structure of the event, as well as creating joint marketing and operational committees for the 2027 competition. Burton Shipley will serve as Chairman of the Board for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027. Shipley previously served as chairman of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Co-ordination Commission.
Shipley said: “The staggering success on all levels with this year’s World Cup in Manila, Jakarta and Okinawa, for the fans, the players and media - everyone - raised the bar yet again for our main event. We’re excited to begin preparations for Qatar.”
Other members of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Board include FIBA Vice-President Anibal Manave and FIBA Secretary-General Andreas Zagklis.
Members of the Qatar LOC delegation include Qatar Basketball Federation President Mohamed Saad al-Meghaiseeb, Director of Marketing and Communication of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) Sheikha Asmaa Thani al-Thani and Director of Strategy and Projects Department of the Qatar Olympic Committee Engineer Fahad Ebrahim Juma Muhana. Qatar Basketball Federation Secretary-General Saadoun Sabah al-Kuwari was also present.
Al-Meghaiseeb underlined the importance of these meetings and said: “As the host country of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027, we are excited that this journey has begun with the tip-off meeting. This early preparation phase is imperative and together with FIBA, we are committed to delivering a memorable event in 2027.”
Qatar was awarded the hosting rights for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 in April, with all games to be played in the city of Doha. The country’s bid impressed with its elements around the compact geographical nature, unique flexibility with tournament venue scheduling to better serve the fans, and its emphasis on sustainability.
The official countdown to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 got underway after the ball was formally handed to the Qatar LOC by former FIBA President Hamane Niang and Manual V Pangilinan, the Chair of the Philippines LOC, during this summer’s World Cup Final. With all of the teams playing in the same city, fans will be able to plan everything far in advance and enjoy a unique experience since all venues are within 30 minutes of each other.
The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 takes place in Qatar from August 27 to September 12, 2027. It marks the first time in the competition’s history that it is to be staged in the MENA region.
The qualification process for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 will include six windows over a 15-month period, starting from November 2025 to February 2027, with 80 national teams competing for a spot in the World Cup.