Senior Swiss sports official dies
Switzerland’s Patrick Baumann, the secretary general of basketball's world governing body, has died of a heart attack.
The 51-year-old lawyer succumbed to a cardiac arrest despite getting immediate help while he was attending the Youth Olympics in Argentina, the International Basketball FederationExternal link (FIBA) announced on Sunday.
Baumann first joined FIBA as a lawyer in 1994 and was appointed secretary general eight years later.
He was a member of the International Olympic Committee who was seen as a potential IOC president.
He led an IOC panel evaluating the Paris and Los Angeles bids for the 2024 Games, and then took charge of overseeing preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The IOC said flags will be flown at half-staff at its offices in Buenos Aires and its home city of Lausanne in Switzerland. A memorial will be held in the athlete village in Buenos Aires.
Baumann was key to developing the 3-on-3 urban version of basketball and pushing for its inclusion as an Olympic medal event.
The Swiss sports minister, Guy Parmelin, said he was sad to hear of the death of a great personality and his thoughts were with Baumann’s family.
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