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Russian and Belarusian Basketball Players Can Return to International Competitions Under New FIBA Rules
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has partially eased restrictions on Russian and Belarusian representatives, allowing certain individuals to return to international basketball competitions under its authority.
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FIBA’s Executive Committee approved the change following updated recommendations from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), according to the federation on September 1.
The decision takes effect immediately and applies to individual participants rather than national teams or clubs. Under the revised rules, players, coaches, referees, commissioners, and other officials from Russia and Belarus may be eligible to participate in FIBA competitions.
Restrictions on Russian and Belarusian national teams and clubs, however, remain in place.
FIBA said the possible return of national teams across all age categories, both in traditional basketball and 3x3 competitions, remains under discussion with the IOC and the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations.
Russia and Belarus have been barred from FIBA competitions since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Why it matters
The gradual return of Russian athletes to international competitions has remained controversial since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine with Belarusian support. Russian and Belarusian athletes were initially suspended from international tournaments, but sports governing bodies began easing some restrictions in early 2023, even as the war continued.
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Concerns over their return have also centered on Russia’s use of sport to promote and legitimize its policies. Russian athletes have participated in propaganda events, publicly supported or justified the war against Ukraine, and, in some cases, received military ranks, further blurring the line between professional sport and the Russian state’s war effort.
At the same time, the war has directly affected Ukraine’s sporting community. According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, as og Juke 2026, at least 19 Ukrainian athletes are currently being held in Russian captivity, while another 13 remain missing.
Twenty-three athletes have been released and returned to Ukraine. Ukrainian human rights organizations have called for greater international pressure on Russia to secure the release of those still in captivity.
The easing of restrictions on Russian athletes has also drawn criticism from sports officials elsewhere in Europe. Polish Volleyball Federation President Sebastian Świderski criticized the International Volleyball Federation’s (FIVB) decision to allow Russian athletes to return to international competition, arguing that such a move was premature while Russia’s war against Ukraine continues.
“I invite the gentlemen who made this decision to visit Ukraine so they can see what everyday life looks like there. I wonder how they would behave if Russia attacked their own country, and whether they would make such decisions so quickly under those circumstances,” he stated.
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-73e975eac219d0c0d7d399745d97c449.jpg "Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev attend the Victory Day Parade in Moscow’s Red Square on May 9, 2019. (Source: Getty Images)")
