LONDON (AP) — The international basketball federation wants Britain to prove it is taking the sport seriously for the long term before its teams are cleared to compete in their home Olympics.
FIBA secretary-general Patrick Baumann tells The Associated Press that British basketball officials need to make sure “the right plan is in place” to develop the sport beyond the 2012 London Games. It needs to turn its men’s and women’s teams into legitimate European contenders.
Britain has lagged behind other European countries in basketball, with the sport still struggling to gain a foothold in a country where soccer, cricket and rugby hold sway.
FIBA is scheduled to rule on Britain’s Olympic status at a central board meeting March 13 in Lyon, France.
