Montenegro to replace Russia at FIBA EuroBasket 2022: FIBA
Russia’s men’s team has been suspended from participating in the tournament taking place in September in Germany, Italy, Georgia, and the Czech Republic.
On Friday, FIBA said in a statement that the national basketball team of Montenegro is to replace Russia at the Eurobasket 2022 tournament.
As per the statement, “Russia is withdrawn from FIBA EuroBasket 2022. Montenegro, as the team with the best win-loss record (3-3) among those who didn’t advance from the EuroBasket Qualifiers, will replace Russia in the tournament and will compete in Group A in Tbilisi."
FIBA added that Russia and Belarus will be withdrawn from the European national team and club competitions.
Earlier in May, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) said that Russia's national soccer team along with the country's club sides have been banned from European competition next season.
The Switzerland-based governing body of European football said that Russia's bid to host the Euro 2028 or the Euro 2032 tournaments have also been declared ineligible.
UEFA said that its decision to rule Russia out as a host followed its regulations that each bidder should "not act in a manner that could bring UEFA, the UEFA final or UEFA final phase, any other bidder the bidding procedure or European football into disrepute."
Russia's national teams and clubs have already been suspended by the UEFA and world soccer governing body FIFA from international football until further notice due to the country's military operation in Ukraine.