By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
In a swift and principled response to the FIBA Central Board’s recent decision to readmit Russian and Belarusian youth teams to international competition, Latvian Basketball Association president Raimonds Vejonis has officially informed FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis of his move to resign from the FIBA 3×3 Commission.
This marks the first formal reaction from a national federation against the governing body’s shift in policy, which granted exceptional authorization for U21 teams from the two nations to participate in the FIBA 3×3 Nations League events in China and Malaysia.
Vejonis, who served as the president of Latvia from 2015 to 2019 and has been LBS president since 2020, expressed sharp disapproval of the move, citing both the moral implications of the ongoing war in Ukraine and a breakdown in internal democratic procedures.
“Following yesterday’s decision by the FIBA Central Board regarding the participation of the Russian and Belarusian U-21 3×3 basketball teams in the FIBA Nations League, and considering that this issue was not considered by the relevant commission, I have decided to resign from my position on the FIBA 3×3 Commission,” he stated in a press release on Friday.
Vejonis emphasized that while global resolve has wavered, Latvia’s stance remains firm. “Since February 24, 2022, when the world sports community and international organizations strongly condemned the Russian invasion and denied Russian and Belarusian athletes participation in international competitions, the position on this issue has softened in many countries and organizations over time,” he observed.
He further asserted that the LBS “continues to consistently advocate for the exclusion of athletes from the aggressor country from international competitions not only in words, but also in deeds.”