Balkan International Basketball League

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 Hapoel Be'er Sheva B.C. from Israel.

Balkan International Basketball League
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2022–23 BIBL season
BIBL Official Logo
SportBasketball
Founded2008
No. of teamsVariable by season
CountriesCurrent countries
 Bulgaria
 Cyprus
 Israel
 Kosovo
 Montenegro
 North Macedonia
Former countries
ContinentFIBA Europe (Europe)
Most recent
champion(s)		Israel Hapoel Be'er Sheva/Dimona (1st title)
Most titlesBulgaria Levski Sofia (3 titles)
TV partner(s)sportmedia.tv
YouTube
RTSH
Official websitebalkanleague.net

Purpose

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

As of the 2017–2018 season, the Balkan International Basketball League has introduced a new, simplified competition format. As per the new format, the competition will involve 8 teams playing each other in a double round robin (home and away) for a total of around 14 games. The changes to the league format include a new playoff format. The first and second place teams automatically qualify for playoffs, while teams placed 3rd to 6th will play each other home and away to make it to the final four (3 vs. 6, 4 vs. 5). Winning teams will advance to the finals to play for the championship.[2]

At the start of the 2020–2021 season, 12 teams from Israel joined the league in order to participate in competitive league play during the COVID-19 era.[3]

Championships
SeasonHostChampionResultRunner-upArena
2008–09 Bulgaria SamokovBulgaria Rilski Sportist84–77North Macedonia Feršped RabotničkiArena Samokov
2009–10 Bulgaria SofiaBulgaria Levski Sofia77–65Montenegro LovćenUniversiada Hall
2010–11 North Macedonia KavadarciNorth Macedonia Feni Industries88–75Bulgaria Rilski SportistJasmin Sports Hall
2011–12 Israel Gan NerIsrael Hapoel Gilboa Galil89–84Bulgaria Levski SofiaGan Ner Sports Hall
2012–13 Bulgaria SamokovIsrael Hapoel Gilboa Galil87–79Bulgaria Levski SofiaArena Samokov
2013–14 Kosovo PristinaBulgaria Levski Sofia75–69Israel Hapoel Gilboa GalilPallati i Rinisë dhe Sporteve
2014–15 Kosovo Pristina
Bulgaria Samokov		Kosovo Sigal Prishtina74−72
80–71		Bulgaria Rilski SportistPallati i Rinisë dhe Sporteve
Arena Samokov
2015–16 Kosovo Pristina
Montenegro Bar		Kosovo Sigal Prishtina82−68
68−75		Montenegro MornarPallati i Rinisë dhe Sporteve
Sportska dvorana Topolica
2016–17 Bulgaria Stara Zagora
North Macedonia Kumanovo		Bulgaria Beroe84−55
77−73		North Macedonia KumanovoObshtinska zala Ivan Vazov
Sports Hall Kumanovo
2017–18 Bulgaria SamokovBulgaria Levski Sofia83−72Kosovo BashkimiArena Samokov
2018–19 Albania TiranaNorth Macedonia Blokotehna82–68Albania TeutaFeti Borova Sport Hall
2019–20 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 Israel HolonIsrael Hapoel Holon91–75Bulgaria Academic PlovdivHolon Toto Hall
2021–22 Israel NahariyaIsrael Hapoel Galil Elyon86–70Israel Maccabi HaifaEin Sara Sport Hall
2022–23 Bulgaria Stara ZagoraIsrael Hapoel Be'er Sheva/Dimona99−95Kosovo PejaObshtinska zala Ivan Vazov

Titles by club
ClubChampionshipsRunner-upsChampionship years
1 Bulgaria Levski Sofia32 2009–10, 2013–14, 2017–18
2 Israel Hapoel Gilboa Galil21 2011–12, 2012–13
3 Kosovo Sigal Prishtina2— 2014–15, 2015–16
4 Bulgaria Rilski Sportist122008–09
5 North Macedonia Feni Industries1— 2010–11
Bulgaria Beroe2016–17
North Macedonia Blokotehna2018–19
Israel Hapoel Holon2020–21
Israel Hapoel Galil Elyon2021–22
Israel Hapoel Be'er Sheva/Dimona2022–23
10 North Macedonia Feršped Rabotnički—1
Montenegro Lovćen
Montenegro Mornar
North Macedonia Kumanovo
Kosovo Bashkimi
Albania Teuta
Bulgaria Academic Plovdiv
Israel Maccabi Haifa
Kosovo Peja

Titles by country
CountryChampionshipsRunner-upsChampionship years
1  Bulgaria55 2008–09, 2009–10, 2013–14, 2016–17, 2017–18
2  Israel522011–12, 2012–13, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23
3  North Macedonia222011–12, 2018–19
 Kosovo222014–15, 2015–16
5  Montenegro—2
6  Albania—1

Current clubs (2023-24 season)
Team City Arena Country
Academic Plovdiv Plovdiv Kolodruma  Bulgaria
AEL Limassol B.C. Limassol Nicos Solomonides Arena  Cyprus
Balkan Botevgrad Botevgrad Arena Botevgrad  Bulgaria
Beroe Stara Zagora Obshtinska  Bulgaria
Levski Sofia Sofia Universiada Hall  Bulgaria
Hapoel Galil Elyon Kfar Blum Heihal HaPais  Israel
Hapoel Holon Holon Holon Toto Hall  Israel
Ironi Nahariya Nahariya Ein Sara  Israel
Sigal Prishtina Prishtina Palace of Youth and Sports  Kosovo
Ibar Rožaje Rožaje Large hall of SC Rožaje  Montenegro
Kumanovo 2009 Kumanovo Sports Hall Kumanovo  North Macedonia
Navico Akademija FMP Skopje Nezavisna Makedonija  North Macedonia
TFT Skopje SRC Kale  North Macedonia

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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