MIES/MIAMI - There was joy for a number of individuals on both sides of the Atlantic as 43 candidates last week passed the necessary test to become certified FIBA agents.

Fifteen agents achieved their all-important certification at FIBA's headquarters in Mies, including American Matthew Bayer, the agent for Emmanuel Mudiay - expected to be one of the top picks in the 2015 NBA draft, having opted to play in the CBA rather than head into the college game.

"It's been an awesome experience and it was a great place to look at all the basketball memorabilia, as well as being able to ask so many questions," Bayer said of his time at the House of Basketball.

"I broke into the sport when I worked for the NBA and was a translator for Yi Jianlian when he was at Milwaukee.

"After that I got to know a lot of people in the industry in China and have been working there for the last three years, bringing American players to the CBA which actually has its own agent certification process.

"But it was very important to get this FIBA certification too - especially because I'm looking to put Chinese players into other leagues."

Mohamad Ibrahim also enjoyed his experience and is looking to utilise his new found certification back home in Lebanon.

"We received some great hospitality and while the test was tricky, it was good and we had a great two days with a great tour," he explained.

"I love basketball and that is why I want to be an agent. My brother (Mohammad Ibrahim) is superstar player in Lebanon and my cousin (Ahmad Ibrahim) also plays with the Lebanese national team, which encouraged me to become an agent.

"If you have good connections, you are going to be successful and I hope to open doors for NCAA players who don't make the NBA.

"I will now make own agency and do whatever it takes to become good agent."

Meanwhile in Miami, the process was overseen by FIBA Sport Development Director Zoran Radovic who conducted two presentations and a Q&A session.

There were two female agents who gained certification - one of whom was Madison Lathon.

"My stepdad, Chris Massie, has been playing pro basketball in Korea for the past decade and through some of his ex-agents and friends of the family involved with basketball, they all encouraged me to become an agent," she revealed.

"Back in college, I was taking a course on worldwide sports management and when we started talking about international basketball and FIBA, I visited the webpage and found the agent's section.

"Then I realised that it was really important for me to get this certification if I wanted to continue working in this business."

Being a certified agent can also run in the family - as evidenced by Sebastian Rafaelli of Argentina, whose father's clients include some of the biggest basketball names in his nation, such as Luis Scola, Pablo Priogini, Andres Nocioni and Facundo Campazzo.

"My father (Carlos Rafaelli) and his partner (Claudio Villanueva) have been a great source of inspiration," said Rafaelli.

"My father played for a lot of years and thus I've always been close to the game, so it was kind of a natural move for me.

"I realised that it was really important to get certified and especially to work under FIBA regulations in Argentina."

FIBA expects to have 500 certified agents by the end of the year. It is an impressive achievement when considering that the certification process was first implemented in 2007.

FIBA