Yamato Holdings Co. has been appointed as the latest Tokyo 2020 official partner. Tokyo 2020 now has a total of 17 partners, including four official partners, the second domestic tier of Tokyo 2020's sponsorship program (Tokyo 2020). ... Russia's national basketball team "will be allowed to take part in Olympic qualification after officials partially lifted a ban on the country's basketball federation." FIBA said in a statement that the federation "remains suspended but its national teams will be allowed to compete." As a result the Russian men's team, the Olympic Bronze Medalist in '12, "is free to take part in next month's European championship, known as EuroBasket, a key Olympic qualifier" (AP, 8/10). ... Brazil’s men’s and women’s national teams "will compete in the Olympic Basketball Tournament at the 2016 Rio Games after FIBA’s Central Board decided to grant them automatic places at its meeting in Tokyo." The decision was made based on the Brazil Basketball Confederation (CBB)’s application which confirms it meets the various sporting requirements, "including having a rich sporting history in basketball" and being able to guarantee its best teams competing in Rio (TALK BASKET, 8/9).
