COFFS HARBOUR (FIBA) - Bob Elphinston is currently in Australia visiting FIBA Oceania, the first time a FIBA President has travelled to the Continental Federation’s headquarters in Coffs Harbour.

The trip is first and foremost a congratulatory visit in honour of Al Ramsay’s induction to FIBA’s hall of fame, a prize he is set to pick up at next year’s World Basketball Championships in Turkey.

The award recognises four decades of involvement with basketball in Oceania, during which he served voluntarily as Secretary of Basketball New South Wales before many years as Secretary General of FIBA Oceania. Ramsay was the central figure in the region joining FIBA as the governing body’s 5th Continental Zone, providing a platform for the region’s bigger teams to qualify for the World Championships and Olympic Basketball Tournaments, while doing much for the development of the sport in the Zone’s smaller Pacific Island nations.

The trip reunites two of Australian Basketball’s most important figures, whose paths have crossed on more than one occasion. Bob Elphinston was indeed recruited by Ramsay as part of a small group of basketball experts who travelled throughout the continent assisting in developing the sport in the most remote Pacific Islands.

Also on the agenda during Elphinston’s visit, which coincides with the 40th anniversary of FIBA Oceania, are discussions regarding current and future plans for the organisation.

FIBA