Yamil Bukele
Yamil Alejandro Bukele Pérez is a Salvadoran-Colombian sports executive, businessman, and former basketball player. Bukele has served as the director of the National Institute of Sports of El Salvador since 2019 and as a member of the FIBA Central Board since 2023. From 2019 to 2023, he also served as the second vice president of FIBA Americas.
Early life
Yamil Alejandro Bukele Pérez was born on 23 January 1978 on the Colombian island of San Andrés. His parents were Armando Bukele Kattán and Bernarda Rosa Pérez Pomare and was the couple's only child. His father was of Palestinian ancestry and his mother was of Colombian ancestry. Bukele has nine half-siblings through his father, including Nayib Bukele who has served as President of El Salvador since 2019.Bukele played basketball for Los Soles de San Andrés that played in the Colombian Professional Basketball League from 2007 to 2012. Bukele also played for the El Salvador men's national basketball team in 2008. Bukele attended university in El Salvador and graduated as a Bachelor of Business Administration. He later attended the University of the Americas and graduated with a degree in marketing and advertising.
Career
In El Salvador
From 2015 to 2018, Bukele served as the president of the Municipal Institute of Sports and Recreation of San Salvador when Nayib served as the city's mayor. Bukele's appointment by Nayib was criticized by both the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance and the left-wing Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front. In 2019, Bukele became the president of the Salvadoran Basketball Federation. He also serves as the president of the Central American and Caribbean Basketball Confederation.In 2019, Nayib appointed Bukele as the director of the National Institute of Sports of El Salvador. Bukele was the president of the Organizing Committee of the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games that were held in El Salvador. In February 2025, Bukele confirmed that Copa INDES would be resurrected for the 2025 season of professional football in El Salvador. In March 2025, Bukele announced that the National Stadium of El Salvador would be inaugurated in 2027.