Taiwan’s basketball association, the CTBA, yesterday withdrew from the third-round qualifier of the FIBA Asia Cup in Doha after failing to assemble the minimum number of players required.
The association said in a statement that the formation of the national team was severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
P.League+ players drafted by the association had quit the national team, it said, adding that several Super Basketball League players dropped out of training due to injuries and other personal issues.
Photo: CNA
Only seven players were willing to stay, which does not meet the International Basketball Federation’s (FIBA) requirement of having at least 10 players on the national team, the association said.
The association said it had been trying to form a team to compete in the qualifier, as failure to join the competition incurs hefty fines and causes the nation to be banned from upcoming international tournaments.
Taiwan’s FIBA membership might be suspended, which would affect the number of foreign players and new players allowed on the national team, as well as in professional basketball teams, it said.
With all national basketball tournaments proceeding, players cannot join the national team without the leagues’ permission and support from family members, it said.
“We had no other choice but to withdraw from the qualifier, which was a painful decision for us,” the association said. “The health and safety of basketball players, coaches and staff remains our No. 1 consideration. This is one of the most important reasons that we decided to skip the competition.”
Beirut-based FIBA Asia last month fined the CTBA 160,000 Swiss francs (US$179,530) and deducted two points for not participating in the second-round Asia Cup qualifier in Qatar in November last year, even though the association did not participate to prevent players contracting COVID-19.
FIBA Asia had announced that the second and third-round qualifiers would be combined and held in Japan, rather than Doha, on Wednesday next week, the association said.
In a letter to the CTBA, FIBA Asia said it would halve the fines imposed on the association and deduct only one point if it joined the competition in Japan.
However, the qualifiers were moved back to Doha after Japan announced a national lockdown.
The association said that it on Wednesday last week appealed the fine at FIBA in Mies, Switzerland, to defend the rights of Taiwan’s basketball players.
As the association could face more penalties for skipping the third-round qualifier, it said it would definitely appeal after receiving official correspondence from FIBA.
Association deputy secretary-general Li Yun-hsiang (李雲翔) told a news conference yesterday that Taiwan was in the same group with Japan, China and Malaysia.
Malaysia has also withdrawn from the qualifier.
China and Japan are to use charter flights to transport players to and from Doha, he said, adding that the Japanese embassy would have the means to transport its players back home if they contract COVID-19 in Doha.
Taiwan and Qatar do not have official relations and Taiwanese players would have to transit via a third country, Li said.
“If our players contract the disease there, we were told that we can only follow disease-prevention measures provided by the Qatari government. We are not reassured as to what it could offer, which is the key reason that we dropped out of the competition,” Li said.
National team manager Cheng Chih-lung (鄭志龍) said that protecting the players should be the top priority.
“If a player tests positive for COVID-19 and has to stay in Doha, who will stay behind to take care of him? There are not even standard operating procedures to follow to bring him back,” Cheng said.
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