GB Forced To Continue Waiting on Olympic Decision

FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann feels there is still work for GB to do

FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann has described Great Britain’s qualification for Eurobasket 2011 as a “substantial step” in getting their place at the London 2012 Olympics but made it clear there is still work to be done by British Performance Basketball to secure that much coveted spot.

Speaking at a press conference prior to the start of the world championships in Turkey on Saturday, Baumann said:

“On a sporting standpoint, that’s great (their qualification), I think this is a substantial step for the Olympic dream. On the other hand, it has to carry on the Monday when the Olympics are over.

“I now think it’s a matter for those who run basketball in the UK to argue, to discuss how to make the sport a success, how they are going to move forward after the Olympics (so) that the funding won’t stop, that the whole GB team won’t disappear.”

A final decision on the Olympics from FIBA is now not expected until next year and may not come until the Autumn, although it is likely to be made prior to the men’s EuroBasket in Lithuania in September.

Thoughts?

Isn’t it clear to FIBA that they would be doing a lot more damage to the legacy of basketball in this country by not including us at London 2012?! They need to lay out the guidelines and make it CLEAR what markers we need to hit rather than constantly moving the goalposts. What do you think about all of this? Drop a comment below and let me know!