2023-08-29 15:44:11
French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra told RTL radio on Tuesday that there was “no question” of questioning the rules concerning Russia after the captain of the French basketball team wished the return of Thomas Heurtel suspended to evolve in Russia.
With tears in his eyes of shame and disappointment, Nicolas Batum had launched at the microphone of BeIN Sports, after the elimination against Latvia: “We messed up, of course, but everyone must question themselves: coaches, players, Federation. You have to reflect on what happened this summer and why it was not good. I don’t give a fuck about politics or whatever. We need everyone in Paris, we need the best team possible and in the best conditions. »
“He knew that if he went to Russia, he would not be selected”
“The subject is absolutely not to call into question decisions relating to Russia which are dictated by the will that we have, at the level of the ministry but also at the level of the Quai d’Orsay, at the level of the federation to protect athlete safety, to have some form of ethics and consistency,” she said.
Thomas Heurtel, the leader of the Euro 2022 finalist team, is suspended by the federation after joining Zenit Saint Petersburg, against the rules laid down by the French body. “A Thomas Heurtel knew knowingly that if he left to play in Russia, he would not be selectable, he made this decision anyway,” added the minister. “I remember that in the debriefs, this theme did not come back,” she added. “We already have exceptional basketball players at constant numbers. »
The Blues have just won, on Tuesday, a match in difficulty against Lebanon (85-79), before playing two classification matches against Iran and Côte d’Ivoire. They will only be able to finish 17th at best before returning to France.
#Basketball #question #changing #rules #players #playing #Russia #Minister #Sports