FIBA Suspend Japan Basketball Association

The International Basketball Association (FIBA) has announced the suspension of the Japanese Basketball Association (JBA) following the conclusion of its two-day Executive Committee meeting held this week.

The FIBA Executive Committee found that the JBA has been and currently remains unable to deliver on several of FIBA’s requests.

The requests from FIBA included the restructuring the JBA to ensure it is fully functional under FIBA’s General Statutes, merging the existing two leagues into one that operates under the JBA and plays the game in accordance with the Official Basketball Rules across the country and to present a concrete sporting plan for the national teams (men and women) beyond 2020.

As a result of the suspension and in accordance with FIBA’s General Statutes, the JBA forfeits its rights as a national member federation of FIBA and cannot participate in any activities (sporting or otherwise) of FIBA and FIBA Asia.

FIBA Secretary General and International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member Patrick Baumann said: “FIBA regrets that the situation has reached such a point of no return.

“However, we are convinced that after so many years of warnings and struggle, and for the good of basketball in Japan, it is absolutely time to make important changes to the structures of the JBA and of the domestic competitions in order to fully comply with FIBA’s General Statutes and also to embrace the opportunity that the 2020 Olympic Games will provide to basketball in Japan.

“We want a successful Tokyo 2020 basketball tournament with the participation of the Japanese men’s and women’s national teams.”