Great Britain will not be penalised after unilaterally refusing to travel to Belarus for a World Cup qualifier on Friday.
FIBA has announced on Thursday that the game, scheduled to be played in Minsk, has been postponed – although Monday’s home date between the two countries, in Newcastle, is still slated to proceed as planned.
A statement said: “The decision is based on the evaluation of the current security situation in the region … FIBA is closely monitoring the security situation in the region, as players’ and officials’ safety remain FIBA’s primary concern.
An emergency meeting of the British Basketball Federation Board last weekend ruled that the team “should not travel to Minsk because of the potential risks involved.”
FIBA had initially underlined that they would not sanction a switch but with war breaking out in nearby Ukraine there was little choice. Ukraine’s home date with Spain is also off.
Players from EuroLeague teams who were due to play in Russia this weekend have also spoken of their reluctance to travel.
Great Britain Men’s Captain Dan Clark had said: “We are happy that the welfare of the travelling group has been put first when making this difficult decision. It is every player’s dream to represent their country at senior level, but some things are bigger than basketball and the current situation in that part of the world is extremely worrying. We look forward to working with FIBA to deliver a practical solution as soon as possible.”
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