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Speech by Antonio Martín, chairman of the ACB, at Endesa’s Colgados del Aro programme.
- The chairman of the Association of Clubs highlights the support of partners like Endesa during the hard times
- After months of uncertainty, the basketball world today returns to the courts
The Endesa League resumed today after months on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. The most prestigious competition in the nation launched an exceptional final phase in Valencia today, which will be played by the twelve best teams classified to date. The tournament will end on 30 June when one team will be crowned the Endesa League champion 2019-2020.
Analysing the relaunch of the competition, the Chairman of the Association of Basketball Clubs, Antonio Martín, visited the Colgados del Aro by Endesa programme yesterday to talk about how they have been working in recent months to arrange this final phase to allow the season to finish: “There was a great deal of uncertainty, not only in the sports world, but in society at large (…). But here we are, we will start playing again tomorrow and basketball will be back”.
Antonio Martín explained the stringent safety measures and protocols that clubs and players are observing at the venue selected for this Final Phase, reminding his audience that lowering their guard "would be disatrous". The measures have been taken on the advice of an expert medical committee and they have listened to the opinions of the players through the Association of Professional Basketball Players. As well as acknowledging everyone’s opinions, during his visit to Colgados del Aro, Martín took the opportunity to talk about the importance of the support received from the sponsors: “The attitude shown by our main sponsors - Endesa and Movistar - was better than excellent! When things go wrong, you realise who your partners are. Misfortune has come but our partners have had an incredible attitude ”.
Since the start of the crisis, Endesa, the League’s main sponsor, has shown unfaltering support for Spanish basketball, and it will be back with the teams to enjoy the best of the sport, lending its full support to the relaunch of elite competition with a set of initiatives that will bring all the excitement of basketball to fans will not be able to watch in person for the first time. The company has adjusted to all the television and digital media required by this new competition format, wheredigitisation and television broadcasting take on new significance.
Endesa has put together an audiovisual formula to preserve a symbolic ritual of the game - the moment when a child delivers the ball for the match - to ensure that it is still one of the most moving moments of the day. Endesa is also organising other activities that will give basketball lovers a unique way of experiencing their favourite sport: Endesa will enable people to participate, live, in the Colgados del Aro by Endesa programme, by discussing the event with Juanma López Iturriaga, Antoni Daimiel, Siro López and 'Pablo Lolaso'. Some lucky fans can also be the commentators for the day, using their voices to transmit the energy needed just before the game. And with www.endesabasketlover.com, you can watch the matches at home with a fabulous dinner. You may even win the official shirt of the Endesa League champion team 2019/20 in a fantastic prize draw.
As José Bogas, CEO of Endesa, has said more than once, “this crisis has taught us that everything can change in a flash, that we cannot take anything for granted, but that when this happens, the solution lies in working together. This new Endesa League Final Phase format involves challenges for everyone, however, as sponsors, we have been able to come up with quick solutions to enable fans to enjoy this energetic sport”.
The President of the ACB also shared how the negotiations with the Spanish Basketball Federation are progressing in relation to possible promotions from the LEB Gold League to the Endesa League: "I agree with Jorge (Garbajosa) that the most important thing is to exhaust all channels for dialogue. We are going to continue doing this with all the stakeholders involved in this 2020-2021 film. What the Federation and ACB are clear about is that they are interacting and working in ways that did not exist in basketball some time ago and that we are not responsible for the situation caused by COVID19. We have to isolate the problem and stand back from it so that does not affect everything else. We are both clear about this”.