[Source: Reuters]

Russia will remain barred from international basketball, with its men’s national team barred from competing in this year’s Pre-Olympic Qualification Tournaments, according to the FIBA Executive Committee.

Russia, which finished 12th at the previous FIBA Men’s World Cup in 2019, last qualified for the Olympics in 2012, where they won bronze with a lineup that included former NBA player Andrei Kirilenko.

The Pre-Qualification Tournaments, which were introduced this year, will be played by 40 countries in total, including 28 from the Second Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Qualifiers as well as the top-ranked 12 who did not compete in the second round.

Bulgaria will be the next highest-ranked European team after Russia.