The men’s basketball teams from Belarus and Russia have been barred by FIBA from competing in the second-chance Olympic qualification competitions. The International Basketball Federation, or FIBA, reported the news on Tuesday.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February of last year, athletes from Russia and Belarus have been subject to penalties from many different sports.
The International Olympic Committee has suggested allowing athletes from Russia and Moscow ally Belarus to compete simply as individual neutrals in forthcoming international competitions as Moscow’s attack on Ukraine enters its second year.
“Following the IOC recommendations on the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport in international competitions…the FIBA Executive Committee has decided to not allow the registration of the Russian men’s national team in the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments 2023,” said a statement on the organisation’s website.
The 32-nation World Cup, which will begin on August 25 in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia and serves as the primary Olympic qualification event, has prohibited Russia and Belarus from competing.
The pre-qualification competitions, which begin on August 12, provide teams who did not advance to the World Cup with a second chance to earn a spot in the 12-team Olympic competition in Paris.
The Russian and Belarusian women’s teams were not allowed to compete in the 16-team EuroBasket final tournament in June, which serves as the primary Olympic qualification event for the region.
