Balkan Basketball League to be created

May 10, 2008

Another international basketball league looks close to realization this weekend. As Bulgarianbasket.com reported a few days ago, the participating countries will meet this weekend in Sofia to establish rules and schedules for the new league.

Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Romania and Serbia will participate in this upcoming competition set to start in October 2008. Of course, the league won’t feature the top teams from these countries, but mid-level teams that have not qualified for international competitions will join. The league will feature most likely 10 teams, two from each of the five countries.

The project has been launched by former FIBA referee Shay Shtriks who explained the requirements to enter the league in a tête-à-tête with the bulgarianbasket.com website:

In the beginning middle-placed clubs in the domestic championships will participate, clubs that want to try themselves on the European stage without being supposed to spare a lot of time and extra money from their budgets.

I can’t wait to see what will come out of the meeting this weekend in Sofia. On the other hand, I have some doubts about this new league. What is the goal beside giving the opportunity to mid-level teams to play some kind of European cup? The Adriatic League features the best teams from the Balkans and gives them high-level competition which they cannot find in national competition. But this league? Well, good luck to the organizers; we will follow your project!

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This post was published on May 10, 2008
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Comments: 14
  1. 16 years ago

    According to www.superbasket.gr/spy/?p=28 the teams that are to participate in the Balkan league are: CSKA and Lefski Sofia, Mega basket, Metalats, Dinamo of Bucurest, Lukoil, Rabotnicki and from Greece have shown interest the two teams from Larissa (Olimpia and AEL),

    The journalist of this article claimed that the main sponsor of Balkan league may be Bank of Piraeus bank .

    The aims of this experiment are not obvious at the moment but the fact that they have already taken the approaval of FIBA means something to me in medium – term period.

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  2. 16 years ago

    But why putting up such a league when you have already the Adriatic League and also the Central European League (?) in this region?

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  3. 16 years ago

    Shay Shtriks answered to the following question: What are the main purposes of the league?

    “I strongly believe, one day in the future, after the creation of BIBL, to be able to organize a final four of the winners of all the existing leagues in Europe – Adriatic, Northern, Baltic and of course Balkan. Here I can not exclude FIBA and ULEB because it does not mean we are not going to work with them.”

    Rumors from Greece used to say that the key factor for the emmision of Woods passport was a former referee from Israel that is related to Bulgary and when Gershon left Olympiakos couldn t do anything about the desirable passport.

    Concerning the Balcan league the above indicated answer if it is true seems that creators of Balcan league want an interrelation with the other leagues that exist in European region.

    In economic terms we can assume that the sponsors of Balcan league will be companies that want to penetrate Balkan markets and that s the reason why they want to support a Balcan league.

    Christophe i believe that in your mind you will have formed some scenarios about the true aims of Balcan league despite the fact that it s a peculiar project.

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  4. Νίκος
    16 years ago

    The country you are refering to as MACEDONIA, is actually called F.Y.R.O.M. and this this is how everybody should call it according to the United Nations’ saying.
    Please, rephrase, because more Greeks visit your site, than Skopjans.

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  5. DK
    16 years ago

    I’m afraid you’ll have to argue over this with FIBA and not international bball bloggers, since FIBA recognises FYROM as Macedonia (I’m Greek Macedonian, myself)

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  6. DK
    16 years ago

    gleeks aren’t you tired of this nonsence? ?

    The name of my country is Macedonia, and I, descendant of Alexander the Great of Macedon, am also Macedonian. You people that live in Aegean Macedonia are Pontik turks and Aromanians brought in this part 100 years ago after the turkish war. You have no right to use the name Macedonia. Macedonia to the Macedonians!.

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  7. Dimitris (DK)
    16 years ago

    Yes, but I’m you can argue over your well-founded claims on some other place and not a b-ball site.

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  8. 16 years ago

    how can i contact the organizers of the Balkan league? is there an official web site for the league?

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  9. 16 years ago

    there is no official website as far as i know

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  10. 16 years ago

    CSKA is not even good enough to compete in the Bulgarian League these days and Levski is only the third best team in the country.
    I see the Balkan League as the second division to the Adria league right now.
    Montenegro is also not involved , guess them and Albania (The club teams – beside Buducnost) dont have the money or/and willing to be part of the league.
    Lets see how this whole thing translates to the local leagues and what kind of difficulties are going to appear once the league started its operations.

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  11. HMMK
    16 years ago

    @ DK

    Stop it – this is basketball site.

    BTW

    I see Feni Industry and Strumica as potential candidates for this league from Macedonia. I do not know about the quality of this league but I am affraid there will be big quality difference among teams

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  12. Teo
    16 years ago

    can someone pelase erase this stuff by DK, some kid could read it and get ideas…
    unbelieveable that people in the 21st century can be such tools.

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  13. Emil
    16 years ago

    Not CSKA, but Cherno more Varna is the other bulgarian team. This balkan league seems to be a very good idea. I’d love to be created also football and volleyball league. As matter of fact there was a Balkan football cup in the past…

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  14. Toni Angelov
    16 years ago

    J am a basketball referee from Macedonia, and J like to make a contact with people from this areas, just for changing experiences about basketball, and everyday situations. J dont want to argue about politics, only frendly persons is welcome.

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