The war in Ukraine never ceases to splash the rest of Europe with terrible repercussions. In addition to inflation and the lack of certain raw materials, the conflict also has an impact on the world of high-level sport. Recently, a controversy erupted after the Wimbledon tournament decided not to allow Russian tennis players to participate in the event. Daniil Medvedev, world number one, could not appear on the famous London lawn.
But tennis is not the only discipline to be affected by this conflict. Monday August 1, 2022, the French basketball federation announced that French players playing under the jersey of Russian or Belarusian teams would no longer be selectable under the jersey of the French team. “The players and staff of the French teams will no longer be selectable if they sign a contract with a Russian or Belarusian club, as long as the conflict is ongoing“, indicates the Federation. “In addition to sanctions and measures to limit partnerships and other financial support from entities with ties to the Russian state and Belarus, international sports federations, including FIBA, have decided on the exclusion of national teams, Russian clubs and athletes in international competitions“, adds the FFBB.
The measurement “also applies to players, staff members who have already signed with a Russian or Belarusian club“. This specifies that “all the delegations selected in the French senior men’s and women’s team are invited to sign a sworn statement […] indicating that they are not engaged and will not engage with a Russian or Belarusian club for the duration of the conflict with Ukraine “under penalty of exclusion” for the next international deadlines, including the 2024 Olympic Games “.
A blow for three basketball players directly concerned: Livio Jean-Charles who plays for the famous CSKA Moscow, and Louis Labeyrie who signed for the Kazan club, specifies Le Parisien. As for Thomas Heurtel, coveted by the Saint Petersburg club, he will have to choose between this possible future Russia and the jersey of the French team.
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