Sports

Russian basketball team excluded from qualification for Olympics

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) did not allow the Russian national team to participate in the qualification for the Olympic Games in Paris.

Source: FIBA official website

At the end of March, the International Olympic Committee made a high-profile decision to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in the Paris Olympics.

Despite Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, with the support of Belarus, the organization allowed federations to allow players from these countries to compete.

Russian athletes will be able to play only under a neutral flag and in compliance with anti-war requirements. However, these rules apply only to individual athletes.

Olympic basketball without Russia

Russians are still not allowed to participate in team sports. The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has decided to follow the IOC’s recommendations, and to excluded the team from the war aggressor state from the competition.

The Executive Committee decided not to allow the Russian national team to participate in the Olympic pre-qualifying tournament. Bulgaria will take its place in this round in Europe. Ukraine is also among the candidates for qualification.

Now, 16 European national teams will be divided into two groups of 8 teams. The draw will take place on May 1, and the matches will be held from August 12 to 20. The two teams that win the pre-qualifying round will advance to the qualifying stage.

Mike

Media analyst and journalist. Fully committed to insightful, analytical, investigative journalism and debunking disinformation. My goal is to produce analytical articles on Ukraine, and Europe, based on trustworthy sources.

Recent Posts

Russia Cognitive Warfare in 2026: How Disinformation Became an Architecture of Influence

Recent reporting and analysis on Russian influence operations targeting the EU and Ukraine suggest a…

1 week ago

Russia’s FSB Accused of Using Fake Volyn Tragedy Documents to Strain Ukraine-Poland Relations

Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation says Russia is using fabricated archival material and state media…

1 week ago

Re:Baltica: Kremlin-linked disinformation campaign escalated threats against the Baltics over drone claims

A Re:Baltica investigation says pro-Kremlin media and social media channels used unrelated security incidents in…

2 weeks ago

MV-lehti: How Finland’s Largest Pro-Kremlin Outlet Spreads Russian War Narratives

With nearly 900,000 monthly visitors, MV-lehti is the most-visited pro-Kremlin outlet in Finland — and…

4 weeks ago

Alexandra Jost Sanctions: How the EU Case Shows the Rise of Influencer-Led Kremlin Messaging

The EU’s designation of Alexandra Jost marks a wider shift in how European authorities are…

4 weeks ago

Geoestrategia.eu: How a Spanish Outlet Bypassed EU Sanctions to Keep Amplifying Russian Propaganda

A Spanish-language website with declared partnerships with RT and Sputnik has published more than 2,300…

4 weeks ago