LONDON: The British Basketball Federation has been suspended by the sport’s world governing body and its men’s team barred from international competition because of governance issues, FIBA announced on Wednesday.
A taskforce was set up in August by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to investigate “regulatory non-compliance” within British basketball after a power struggle between the BBF and Super League Basketball.
The BBF awarded a 15-year license to run a new professional men’s competition — the Great Britain Basketball League — to GBB League Ltd. (GBBL) in April, a consortium led by the American businessman Marshall Glickman.
However, the nine clubs who set up Super League Basketball, after the collapse of the British Basketball League in 2024, refused to join, claiming the tender process run by the national governing body was an abuse of its dominant position.
The BBF robustly denied the claims, saying it had only granted an ‘interim license’ to Super League Basketball to bridge the gap until the award of a long-term license.
“For this reason the interim license included an express right for the BBF to terminate it after one year,” the BBF said in a statement earlier this year.
The FIBA statement said it had imposed the measures on BBF after a comprehensive review of the situation, including interviews and meetings with basketball stakeholders.
“These measures aim to restore regulatory integrity and promote sustainable governance of men’s basketball in Great Britain as soon as possible,” it said.
Under the terms of the suspension the BBF will not be permitted to license or recognize national men’s competitions, or field a men’s national team in FIBA senior competitions.
The Super League Basketball season began in September.
The BBF and Super League Basketball have been approached for comment.
FIBA suspends British Basketball Federation over governance issues
https://arab.news/g7hby
FIBA suspends British Basketball Federation over governance issues
- A taskforce was set up in August by FIBA to investigate “regulatory non-compliance” within British basketball
- The BBF robustly denied the claims, saying it had only granted an ‘interim license’ to Super League Basketball
Pep Guardiola urges Barcelona to fill Olympic Stadium for Gaza charity match
- Catalan, Palestine national sides will play in honor of 400-plus Palestinian athletes killed in conflict
- ‘It is more than just a game, it is a cry of solidarity,’ Man City coach says
BEIRUT: Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has urged the people of Barcelona to come together for a special football match to be played next week in the city to honor the more than 400 Palestinian athletes killed in Gaza.
In a 30-second video appeal he called on people to fill the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium for the game between the Catalan and Palestine national teams.
“Barcelona, city of peace, hosts this Tuesday the match between the Catalan national team and Palestine national team at the Olympic Stadium,” he said.
“It is more than just a game, it is a cry of solidarity in tribute to the more than 400 Palestinian athletes who were assassinated in Gaza. Let’s fill the stadium.”
Spanish media reports said the proceeds from the match and the Act X Palestine campaign would be used to support the Palestinian people through three lines of action: humanitarian aid and reconstruction in Gaza, justice and an end to impunity, and culture as a form of resistance.
Palestinian-Canadian Mohammed Jashi told Arab News: “As a Palestinian and a Man City fan, I have nothing but tremendous respect and gratitude for Pep, both for his sporting achievements and now his humanitarian stand with my country.
“To have such a prominent manager, the most successful one of our era, issue such a rallying cry for solidarity is something that garners nothing but respect.”
The video garnered 19,000 likes on X and more than 13,500 Instagram.
