Elisa Aguilar makes history: first president of the Spanish Basketball Federation

Elisa Aguilar is the new president of the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB) after being elected this Monday morning at the Assembly held in Madrid. The former player, who succeeds Jorge Garbajosa, president of FIBA Europe since August, received 77 votes in favor and two blank.. She was the only candidate for the position.

About to turn 47, Aguilar becomes the first president of the entity in its history and a pioneer, since there are only two other women in similar positions in Spanish sport: Asunción Lorente at the head of the Spanish Rowing Federation and Isabel García Sanz, in the Rescue and First Aid department.

Elisa, the sixth player with the most appearances for the Spanish team (222) and who until now held the position of director of competitions at the FEB, has extensive training, having a degree in Economics from George Washington University. He will serve until 2024, the year in which, according to the regulations of the sports federations, elections will be held for the 2024-2028 Olympic cycle.

The base, who won six medals with the national team during her time as a player, has become the first woman to occupy the presidency of the FEB in its 100-year history. It is the second federation in Spain by number of licenses (377,108), after football, and the first in number of women's licenses, more than 130,000 in 2022.

“I experience feelings of honor, responsibility, commitment, gratitude and pride. Pride because, once again, the FEB has given a lesson in modernity and courage, and has placed itself at the head of the sports entities of this country, electing a woman for its Presidency. A historical milestone that recognizes the role of women in our sport and that marks the step of Spanish society, which grants me a responsibility for which I am willing and aware,” highlighted the new president of the FEB in her speech before the assembly.

Among the immediate challenges set is that of “reaching half a million members by 2030.”. And in sports, ensure that both the women's and men's teams are present at the next Paris Games in 2024. The FEB and the Generalitat Valenciana have asked to be one of the four men's Pre-Olympics, in which Sergio Scariolo's boys must obtain their Olympic ticket from July 2 to 7 after not reaching the quarterfinals in the last World Cup.. Miguel Méndez's players, current European runners-up, will look for it in February in “a Pre-Olympic of which this week we will find out both the venue and the rivals.”