Basketball Federation of BiH condemns behaviour of three players, will seek sanctions against them

At the session of the Executive Board of the Basketball Federation of BiH, held last night in Banja Luka, the situation regarding the absence of several players who were called up to the men's senior national team gathering in Sarajevo was discussed, reports the Patria agency. 

The public is aware of the fact that a certain number of players did not respond to the preparations. In this regard, we wish to inform the public fully and truthfully with this statement.

- The fact is that being invited to play for the national team of one's country is a great honor, an obligation, but also an opportunity for the affirmation of basketball in general, as well as the personal affirmation of each player. Based on this standpoint, we wish to clarify the circumstances regarding the players who will be absent from the preparations and appearances of our best selection, as well as the measures that the Basketball Federation of BiH intends and is obliged to take.

Players Elmedin Kikanović, Andrija Stipanović, Emir Sulejmanović and Milan Milošević arrived at the gathering with collected medical documentation, and after additional medical examinations and in agreement with coach Vujošević, they were relieved of the obligation to further attend the national team preparations.

Regarding the other players, and here we primarily mean the experienced captain Mirza Taletović and Jusuf Nurkić, we cannot take any measures, as they are outside the jurisdiction of FIBA and the Basketball Federation of BiH, as players with a status in the NBA league. It is up to them whether they will respond or not, or whether they will convincingly and argumentatively show the justification of their stance and prove the impossibility of participating in the process of preparations and pre-qualification matches.

What we cannot and will never accept is the manner in which the players Nemanja Gordić, Imran Polutak and Kenan Karhodžić (for whom the Basketball Federation of BiH particularly advocated to resolve his status) reacted. Completely irresponsibly, unacceptably and without argument, they refused to come to the national team preparations. They did not explain their arbitrary action to anyone from the Basketball Federation of BiH, nor did they show respect and the obligation to explain to the coach the reasons why they would not be at the preparations.

Because of all this, and above all due to respect for overall obligations and building the cult of the national team, the Basketball Federation of BiH most strongly condemns such conduct by the players, and will in this regard address FIBA with a request that such actions be sanctioned and that the dignity of the Basketball Federation of BiH be protected, all in accordance with Article 90 of the Regulation of Player and Official Obligations.

On this occasion, we especially emphasize the lack of respect for the immense efforts that the Executive Board makes to ensure conditions for the appearance of seven national teams of the Basketball Federation of BiH in various categories and to provide young people with an opportunity for affirmation, and that such an irresponsible attitude towards the Basketball Federation of BiH represents a blow to the functioning of the Federation - the statement reads.