TAOYUAN - Jurgen Endress is looking forward to a busy term in office after recently being elected as Secretary General for the Deaf International Basketball Federation (DIBF).

Appointed at the fourth DIBF World Congress which took place during the 2015 World Deaf Basketball Championships in Taoyuan in Chinese Taipei, the event witnessed over 30 delegates from 18 different countries attend.

During the Congress, Aleksas Jasiunas of Lithuania was re-elected as DIBF President, while Endress was handed the role of Secretary General.

"Our aims both now and in the future is to reform our constitution, structures and regulations to make them stronger for deaf basketball across the world - in term of competitions, education, development and the media," he revealed, as he begins the early phase of his tenure.

"One of our most important aims is to engage even more with the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) to strengthen our relationship - very much like we have already done with FIBA.

"We will also be looking to organise and be involved in many different events, including Deaflympics, World Championships, Youth World Championships, Regional Championships and Cups.

"We also hope to make a new event possible and that is a 3x3 competition at the world level.

"In addition to these activities, we also want to offer clinics for referees and coaches and hold youth camps in our four different zones," added Endress.

The elections at the Congress also saw Yaakov Keren of Israel re-elected as treasurer and confirmation of six DIBF member-at-large posts.

These were: Hsin-Ta Lee, Chinese Taipei (re-elected), David Hamilton, United States (newly elected), Aki Watanabe, Japan (newly elected), Alexandra Katsimperi, Greece (newly elected), Vitalii Lavrik, Ukraine (re-elected), Dario Pignataro, Italy (newly elected)

With a far-reaching agenda, the Congress also discussed reports from Central Board about activities undertaken during the previous cycle between 2011 and 2015, as well as hearing financial and other activities from each of the DIBF Zones.

FIBA