FIBA, the global basketball governing body, is set to appoint a new executive director for its regional operations in Asia, which will also have a new home, relocating to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The office, currently located in Beirut, Lebanon, will move to Kuala Lumpur by January 2027 as part of the organization’s restated focus on the Asian market, and in particular, the continued strength of East Asian interest in traditional and 3×3 basketball codes.
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FIBA identified Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, as its next base in the region due to its nature as a ‘well-connected’ city for global business, and the fact that it is “strategically important” as a sports hub, boasting the headquarters of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and World Badminton Federation (WBF) governing bodies, to name a few.
That move will coincide with the departure of FIBA’s executive managing director for Asia, Hagop Khajirian of Lebanon, who has held the role since 2012.
Veteran Khajirian will retire at the end of 2026 after a near 30-year spell at the body where he has held several prominent roles.
He will be replaced by British-Pakistani former cricketer Wasim Khan, who has been the general manager for cricket at the International Cricket Council governing body since May 2022.
Prior to that, he was chief executive of the Pakistani Cricket Board between January 2019 and December 2021, one of the sport’s most influential governing bodies.
Now, in his new role, Khan will oversee the administration of basketball on the continent, and has already joined up with FIBA as executive director-designate, working through a handover process with Khajirian ahead of his formal ascension to the role in January.
Following his retirement, Khajirian will remain attached to FIBA as a senior advisor to the FIBA secretary general, Andreas Zagklis.
The biggest FIBA event taking place in Asia over the coming years is the 2027 men’s World Cup, to be held in Qatar (the first time it will be held in the Middle East, and the 2030 FIBA Women’s World Cup, which will be staged in Japan.
Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines co-hosted the most recent edition of the men’s FIBA World Cup in 2023, and the body’s continued return to the market reflects its commercial importance.
Asia is also a dominant region in terms of 3×3 basketball, and will host the 2027 edition of its annual 3×3 World Cup in Singapore.
