The FIBA Central Board has softened its stance on the international tournament participation of Russian and Belarusian youth teams, which have been banned from global competitions since 2022 due to the invasion of Ukraine. Consequently, both countries have received approval to register U21 teams for select FIBA 3×3 Youth Nations League conferences in China and Malaysia.
However, this youth-focused development does not signify a complete lifting of sanctions. The general suspension of senior national teams and clubs remains in effect. Thus, Russia and Belarus are excluded from the qualifiers for the 2027 World Cup, and their clubs are also prohibited from participating in all European competitions under FIBA’s jurisdiction.
Despite this, Vladimir Dyachok, the Executive Director and Secretary General of the Russian Basketball Federation (RBF), expressed optimism when interviewed by the Tass agency:
“This is undoubtedly a very important and necessary decision for us. We have been striving to overcome this obstacle for several years, and we have finally achieved it. Although for now, it’s only for U21 3×3 basketball teams, it is already a big step forward. Our boys and girls will have the opportunity to compete against the best athletes in the world in their age group. We believe that other teams will be added soon.”
