Balkan International Basketball League

Last updated
Balkan International Basketball League
Current season, competition or edition:
Basketball current event.svg 2023–24 BIBL season
BIBL logo 23-10-2022 White.jpeg
BIBL Official Logo
Sport Basketball
Founded2008
No. of teamsVariable by season
CountriesCurrent countries
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria
Flag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel
Flag of Kosovo.svg  Kosovo
Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro
Flag of North Macedonia.svg  North Macedonia
Former countries
Continent FIBA Europe (Europe)
Most recent
champion(s)		 Flag of Kosovo.svg Sigal Prishtina (3rd title)
Most titles Flag of Kosovo.svg Sigal Prishtina (3 titles)
TV partner(s) RIK 2
sportmedia.tv
YouTube
RTSH
Official website balkanleague.net

The Balkan International Basketball League (BIBL), also known as the Balkan League and as the Delasport BIBL Balkan League for sponsorship reasons, is a multinational professional basketball league that features mostly clubs from the Balkans. The league included teams from countries as Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Cyprus and Israel. The most recent league champion is Sigal Prishtina from Kosovo.

Contents

The purpose of the Balkan International Basketball League is to provide competitive international play for clubs in the Balkans that would otherwise be unable to participate in international basketball. The league achieves this by providing financial support to all participating clubs in order to ease the costs that make international play difficult. [1] Among other milestones, the league is also the first international league of its kind to include teams from Kosovo.

Format

After the 2017–2018 season, the Balkan International Basketball League introduced a new, simplified competition format. Under this format, the competition now typically features a total of between 6 – 8 teams and the tournament is divided into two phases: the regular season, whereby all participating teams will play each other in a double round robin both home and away and following the regular season's conclusion, the first and second placed teams will automatically qualify to the Final Four, whereas the third placed team will have to play the sixth placed team and the fourth will play the fifth at home and away to determine which team will advance to the Final Four. After this, the winning teams will advance to the final four to determined that season's BIBL Balkan League champions. [2]

Additionally, at the start of the 2020–2021 season, 12 teams from Israel participated in the league in order to have access to competitive games during the COVID-19 pandemic. [3]

Championships

SeasonHostChampionResultRunner-upArena
2008–09 Flag of Bulgaria.svg Samokov Flag of Bulgaria.svg Rilski Sportist 84–77 Flag of North Macedonia.svg Feršped Rabotnički Arena Samokov
2009–10 Flag of Bulgaria.svg Sofia Flag of Bulgaria.svg Levski Sofia 77–65 Flag of Montenegro.svg Lovćen Universiada Hall
2010–11 Flag of North Macedonia.svg Kavadarci Flag of North Macedonia.svg Feni Industries 88–75 Flag of Bulgaria.svg Rilski Sportist Jasmin Sports Hall
2011–12 Flag of Israel.svg Gan Ner Flag of Israel.svg Hapoel Gilboa Galil 89–84 Flag of Bulgaria.svg Levski Sofia Gan Ner Sports Hall
2012–13 Flag of Bulgaria.svg Samokov Flag of Israel.svg Hapoel Gilboa Galil 87–79 Flag of Bulgaria.svg Levski Sofia Arena Samokov
2013–14 Flag of Kosovo.svg Pristina Flag of Bulgaria.svg Levski Sofia 75–69 Flag of Israel.svg Hapoel Gilboa Galil Pallati i Rinisë dhe Sporteve
2014–15 Flag of Kosovo.svg Pristina
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Samokov 		Flag of Kosovo.svg Sigal Prishtina 74−72
80–71		 Flag of Bulgaria.svg Rilski Sportist Pallati i Rinisë dhe Sporteve
Arena Samokov
2015–16 Flag of Kosovo.svg Pristina
Flag of Montenegro.svg Bar 		Flag of Kosovo.svg Sigal Prishtina 82−68
68−75		 Flag of Montenegro.svg Mornar Pallati i Rinisë dhe Sporteve
Sportska dvorana Topolica
2016–17 Flag of Bulgaria.svg Stara Zagora
Flag of North Macedonia.svg Kumanovo 		Flag of Bulgaria.svg Beroe 84−55
77−73		 Flag of North Macedonia.svg Kumanovo Obshtinska zala Ivan Vazov
Sports Hall Kumanovo
2017–18 Flag of Bulgaria.svg Samokov Flag of Bulgaria.svg Levski Sofia 83−72 Flag of Kosovo.svg Bashkimi Arena Samokov
2018–19 Flag of Albania.svg Tirana Flag of North Macedonia.svg Blokotehna 82–68 Flag of Albania.svg Teuta Feti Borova Sport Hall
2019–20 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 Flag of Israel.svg Holon Flag of Israel.svg Hapoel Holon 91–75 Flag of Bulgaria.svg Academic Plovdiv Holon Toto Hall
2021–22 Flag of Israel.svg Nahariya Flag of Israel.svg Hapoel Galil Elyon 86–70 Flag of Israel.svg Maccabi Haifa Ein Sara Sport Hall
2022–23 Flag of Bulgaria.svg Stara Zagora Flag of Israel.svg Hapoel Be'er Sheva/Dimona 99−95 Flag of Kosovo.svg Peja Obshtinska zala Ivan Vazov
2023-24 Flag of Cyprus.svg Limassol Flag of Kosovo.svg Sigal Prishtina 72−67 Flag of Cyprus.svg PAYABL EKA AEL Nicos Solomonides Arena

Titles by club

ClubChampionshipsRunner-upsChampionship years
1 Flag of Kosovo.svg Sigal Prishtina 3— 2014–15, 2015–16, 2023−24
2 Flag of Bulgaria.svg Levski Sofia 32 2009–10, 2013–14, 2017–18
3 Flag of Israel.svg Hapoel Gilboa Galil 21 2011–12, 2012–13
4 Flag of Bulgaria.svg Rilski Sportist 12 2008–09
5 Flag of North Macedonia.svg Feni Industries 1— 2010–11
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Beroe 2016–17
Flag of North Macedonia.svg Blokotehna 2018–19
Flag of Israel.svg Hapoel Holon 2020–21
Flag of Israel.svg Hapoel Galil Elyon 2021–22
Flag of Israel.svg Hapoel Be'er Sheva/Dimona 2022–23
10 Flag of North Macedonia.svg Feršped Rabotnički —1
Flag of Montenegro.svg Lovćen
Flag of Montenegro.svg Mornar
Flag of North Macedonia.svg Kumanovo
Flag of Kosovo.svg Bashkimi
Flag of Albania.svg Teuta
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Academic Plovdiv
Flag of Israel.svg Maccabi Haifa
Flag of Kosovo.svg Peja
Flag of Cyprus.svg PAYABL EKA AEL


Titles by country

CountryChampionshipsRunner-upsChampionship years
1Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria 55 2008–09, 2009–10, 2013–14, 2016–17, 2017–18
2Flag of Israel.svg  Israel 52 2011–12, 2012–13, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23
3Flag of Kosovo.svg  Kosovo 32 2014–15, 2015-16, 2023–24
4Flag of North Macedonia.svg  North Macedonia 22 2011-12, 2018-19
5Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro —2
6Flag of Albania.svg  Albania —1
7Flag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus —1

Clubs (2023-24 season)

TeamArenaCapacityCountry
AEL Limassol B.C. Nicos Solomonides Arena 2,500Flag of Cyprus.svg  Limassol, CYP
Sigal Prishtina Pallati I Rinise Dhe Sportheve 2,800Flag of Kosovo.svg  Pristina, KOS
KK Lovćen 1947 Sportski Center Cetinje 1,500Flag of Montenegro.svg  Lovćen, MNE
KK Pljevlja Sport Cener Ada 3,500Flag of Montenegro.svg  Pljevlja, MNE
KB Peja Karakaci Arena 2,500Flag of Kosovo.svg  Peja, KOS

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References

  1. ↑ "BIBL 10th season – road from 2008-2009 to 2017-2018".
  2. ↑ "BIBL 10th season 2017-2018 New Competition System".
  3. ↑ "Balkan League moving to Israel with the addition of 12 Winner League teams". 2 October 2020.
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