For the first time in a quarter of a century, there is a different face leading the Portuguese Basketball Federation after Manuel Fernandes was installed a the new President of the organisation.
Fernandes will take over the reins for an initial four year term from 2014-2018 in a change that brings to an end the 25 year service of his predecessor Mário Saldanha.
A clear mandate has been handed to the new President after he received two thirds of the vote from the 60 of 61 delegates who participated under the Electoral Act.
Fernandes had ran his campaign for the Presidency based on convincing the Portuguese basketball community that he was intent on making the sport grow and flourish in the country – including overseeing the process of improved future performance from the Portugal national teams.
A player and coach with Barreirense earlier in his career where he won three national Cups, Fernandes has also been a National Technical Director for 30 years and has a deep understanding of the game at all levels – not only in Portugal.
He has also been a member of the Executive Board of FIBA Europe since 2006 and was recently elected earlier this year to be a member of the FIBA Working Group on National Federations Support and Development for the 2014-2019 term.
