At the Olympic Games in 1996 in Atlanta we continually had upwards of 30,000 spectators. The experts prize the women's games possibly even higher than the men's games. We're of course hoping for a similar response for the world championships here in Germany. Basketball is attractive to both players and public. The men's games are more characterized by tactics and athletic prowess, while the dynamism of the women's games is fascinating.
Women can play basketball and still remain feminine.
Basketball creates fashion trends, that's why it's being increasingly discovered by the fashion and cosmetic industries. Well, the USA is still the favorite to capture both world titles, but the level of some of the competing teams, for example the Yugoslavian men's team or the Brazilian, Australian and Chinese women's teams, has risen considerably in the last few years. We expect an exciting competition. A cup match doesn't just mean excitement, it also means, for you, a lot of data. To handle this data intelligently, the FIBA has decided to use IT tools intensively.