There "will be no banning of the Spanish basketball team from the Olympics, for now," according to Juanma Rubio of AS. FIBA and FIBA Europe met on Saturday in Geneva. The int'l body "supports the decisions by FIBA Europe, but the parties will meet this week" with the national federations. The organizations "also want to meet with Euroleague." FIBA said in a statement, "The implementation of the decisions at the European and int'l level will take place after the consulting process." While FIBA is "not ruling out sanctions, they are not happening for now." As for the Olympics, "that is a very delicate matter in which the IOC and the Rio Organizing Committee also have influence." The Rio committee "has complained about Spain's possible absence, as it has already sold the TV rights and many of the tickets for a tournament which offers the first phase as one of its strengths" (AS, 4/23). LIBERTAD DIGITAL reported Spanish Superior Sports Council (CSD) President Miguel Cardenal "showed his optimistic perspective regarding FIBA's sanctions of the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB)." Cardenal confirmed that it is possible "to reverse the situation." He said, "We have from the first moment been in contact with both the FEB and FIBA. I have spoken with leaders from both organizations and we are working with confidence that we can reverse the situation" (LIBERTAD DIGITAL, 4/22).
PLAYER EXPRESSES CONCERN: AS reported Real Madrid guard Sergio Rodríguez addressed the conflict between FIBA Europe and the Euroleague, saying, "I try to be focused on Madrid, but it it is inevitable to read what the press says. I hope that it is resolved soon, because this does not benefit anyone" (AS, 4/24).
WHAT HISTORY INDICATES: In Madrid, Raquel González reported in recent years, FIBA "has lifted four of the last five sanctions it has imposed." Mexico was suspended in November from Olympic qualifiers for its institutional situation, but that suspension was lifted in January. Kuwait was suspended by FIBA on Oct. 30 for "political interference in its national basketball federation." Three other national federations banned by FIBA since '14 -- and later reinstated -- were those in Russia, Brazil and Japan (AS, 4/23).
