BRAZIL
1963
This fourth edition of the world basketball championship was not the biggest
off-court battle in history but it came close. Although it could be imagined that
the problem of the Soviet and Bulgarian refusal to play Formosa (Taiwan) had
been left in the past with the closing ceremony in Chile this was not the case.
The USSR felt they had been robbed but as a debutant in the world championships (albeit as
Olympic silver medallists) they did not have a strong voice in the upper echelons of FIBA. However,
the following four years had given them more influence in the organisation and they were not
prepared to allow themselves to be pushed around again.
Manila, capital of the Philippines, had been chosen as the venue for the subsequent edition
during the Chile world championship. It was due to take place in December 1962 to allow the
four-year interval between editions to be restored. This interval had been interrupted by the delays
in Chile. The Philippine authorities offered the highest possible guarantees that the event would
not be affected by any political problems. Nevertheless, problems were unavoidable. Three
months before the start of the tournament, the Soviet Union and Bulgaria reiterated their
determination not to recognise Formosa. Given that the presence of the national Chinese was
expected both teams announced that they would not be travelling to Manila. The Philippine
authorities fanned the flames of the boycott by refusing to issue visas to entrants from the
communist bloc (in practice this only meant the USSR as the others had not even requested
them) when soe teams had already arrived in Manila. On this occasion William Jones seemed
prepared to take a firm line. Amateur basketball could not expand without the participation of the
countries from the European communist bloc and a decision like that of the Philippine leaders
could leave FIBA in a very precarious position. Therefore they called an urgent meeting of the
Central Committee.
Only seven of the nine members of this select, elite group attended the meeting. Strangely
enough one of the absentees was Senator Ambrosio Padilla, FIBA vice-president and president of
the Philippine Federation (he complained that he had not be asked to the meeting) and was
therefore unable to present his arguments. With the exception of FIBA President Dos Reis
Carneiro, a Brazilian, all the members present were European: three from the communist bloc
(the Hungarian Ferenc Hepp, the Bulgarian Mladem Nikolov and the Soviet Nikolai Semasko), one
Spaniard (Raimundo Saporta), one Italian (Decio Scuri) and William Jones himself. As a result of
this meeting the championship was taken away from the Philippines, the Philippines were banned
from taking part in the next two editions and were fined $2,000 (a small fortune at the time)
although this was finally halved.
189
FUNDACIÓN PEDRO FERRÁNDIZ
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP