FIBA warned Britain's basketball team could be excluded from the Commonwealth Games.GETTY IMAGES
England’s and Scotland’s basketball teams "face exclusion from the Commonwealth Games" if the British sides pull out of int'l competition, the government was warned, according to Martyn Ziegler of the LONDON TIMES. British Basketball said that its funding crisis means "it will not have sufficient money for the men’s and women’s senior GB teams to fulfil their fixtures after April." It receives no money from UK Sport as it is "not viewed as an Olympic medal prospect." FIBA Exec Dir Kamil Novak wrote to U.K. Sports Minister Tracey Crouch "warning of the penalties British Basketball could face" -- including exclusion from the Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast in April. The letter said, "I hope you and your government can find a positive solution to this short-term funding crisis. The consequences of withdrawing will have a severe impact on the long-term future of basketball in your country." Labour MP David Lammy asked Crouch why sports such as canoeing, cycling, equestrian, hockey, rowing and rugby "all do so much better" in terms of public funding than "this urban sport." Basketball England receives £4.7M ($6.6M) from Sport England for grassroots sport but the GB team "receives nothing" (LONDON TIMES, 2/20).
