“It’s a historic day for me fiba And to everyone present here in Madrid, and especially to the players who had the opportunity to compete on this wonderful and innovative surface. There has been a lot of anticipation up to this point and for us to finally be able to show the world that this realm of glass is truly delightful.”
“With this successful world premiere of the LED glass court, we once again demonstrated our strategic priorities: ‘Expanding the FIBA family’ by nurturing and encouraging innovation in the world of basketball; ‘Women in Basketball’, introducing this revolutionary surface to a women’s event.”
these the words Secretary General fibaAndreas Zajclis, on the amazing innovation presented in Madrid on the occasion of the FIBA U-19 Women’s World Cup 2023: a glass court with LED lights, which gave players and spectators an unparalleled experience, both in person and on TV. Field capabilities have already been introduced, with GlassCourt OS in view by ASB GlassFloor and its CEO, Christophe Babinski, and the revolution it can bring to the world of basketball passing on several fronts: It is an interactive experience for the audience, as Canadian national team coach Victor Lapina explains, “They can have the possibility to show their face on the court or interact in any other way,” and therefore useful for inducing participation in certain events, preferring entertainment; Right from this point on, a surface capable of changing color and representation during a match in progress has never been seen thanks to the presence of LED panels, an innovation that breaks down any barrier not only for players and coaches, providing live match information and data thanks to tracking systems provided by third parties, but also for associations and sponsors, who can appear in real time on the pitch and create promotions to display onDedicated. See for yourself what we’re talking about:
It’s all nice to watch, but what are the players’ feelings? Finished debuting on this very surface last Friday during the FIBA World Cup quarter-finals, the new entrants were France and Japan. She will not be forgotten by Leila Lacan, the French player in Angers, as she led her teammates to victory with 36 points, 13/21 from the court and 6/10 from three-point range:
“Perhaps the glass pitch has brought me some luck, I will ask my team to always play on this surface. I must also say that, after I fell to my knees, I did not experience the usual pain. There was probably something magical about the camp, it was so wonderful for the design and animation.”
– Lily Lacan
The United States also took the field against the Czech Republic, Mali against Canada and Spain against Lithuania, whose players were able to leave various positive reactions:
“The grip is the same as in all other areas. I think the possibilities are endless, you can show everything during timeouts and make the game more fun for the spectators. This is a great innovation for the spectators and a great advance for women’s basketball as the court was used here for the first time.”
– Anael Dutat (France)
“It’s really cool, we made some videos, you can feel the excitement. The wait was worth it, everything exceeded expectations. This innovative idea brings basketball into a new era.”
Coach Johnny Taylor (USA)
“It was an honor, like receiving a gift. Dribbling and feeling the same grip as you would on any other court is amazing.”
– Haruo Awaki (Japan)
“I find it special that the FIBA has decided to open this course in a women’s event, and we are grateful for that. At first I thought the ball would slide when dribbling, but that’s okay.”
– Elena Buenavida (Spain)
“I expected it to be the same as the regular course and we loved it. I’m glad we were the first to try it, it’s something we’ll be telling future generations about.”
Dominika Borova (Czech Republic)
“Revolutionary? Surely it is. It can take this game to another level by amplifying the fan experience.”
– Technical Director Diakite Souri (Mali)
“It is incredible that FIBA has thought of this women’s competition to present to the world. Basketball is changing, it is a completely new experience.”
– Coach Julien Egloff (France)
“Really very special, no one knew what to expect. There are all those colors out there… I wouldn’t have believed in something like that!”
– Joyce Edwards (USA)
