POSTED BY: Eurobasket Center
The Zone II held its first annual conference in Dakar last Saturday. A zone that is crumbling under the weight of financial difficulties and seeking candidates for the organization of the playoff tournaments for men.
The Zone II desperately sought a candidate for the organisation of the qualifiers for African championships 2009. On the senior level, Guinea is the sole candidate, while the women's competition has no possible host in sight so far.
A possibility would be to create a league system instead of a tournament so a host wouldn't be needed.
Furthermore, Guinean Omar N'diaye suggested to FIBA-Africa to review the current qualification system.
He points out, that the zonal qualifiers would gain more attraction if only the Champions and the host country would be automatically qualified while the other countries that were placed
second to eight have to play again the zonal qualifiers instead of being automatically qualified for the next African Championships.
Another problem is facing the area: Financial difficulties related to the contribution of non-member countries. Currently only Cape Verde is reliable. And Dakar, which should host the headquarters of the zone, is outstanding for its unpaid bills. However, the contribution is only $ 300 per year, or 135000 F Cfa.
A positive note is the recent success of the U-16 zonal championships which have been held in Guinea-Bissau and that nine (Gambia, Sierra Leone and Mauretania were absent) of 12 members of the zone were present in Dakar.
