Israel situation means BC Kalev/Cramo FIBA cup opening match postponed
Estonian basketball team BC Kalev/Cramo's opening International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Europe Cup match has been postponed, due to the security situation in Israel. The Tallinn-based Kalev/Cramo had been due to play away next Wednesday at Ironi Hai Motors Nes-Ziona, an Israel-based team.
The FIBA Europe Cup is an annual professional club basketball competition organized by FIBA for eligible European clubs.
FIBA Europe has announced that matches involving all Israeli basketball clubs will be postponed indefinitely due to the situation which began Saturday with attacks from the Gaza Strip by terror organization Hamas, which have been described as "unprecedented."
The decision affects five Israeli teams, competing both in the EuroCup Women and the FIBA Europe Cup.
"FIBA Europe is working with the Israeli Basketball Association and all of the teams and is monitoring the situation, with the safety of all as the main priority. New game times will be announced as soon as the situation allows," the FIBA statement read.
Other teams affected in Europe include Italian team New Basket Brindisi, for whom Estonian Joonas Riisma plays as a small forward.
How exactly the game calendar will be changed has not yet been announced by FIBA Europe has not yet announced how the overall game calendar will be changed; retaining the same schedule but simply with Israeli clubs removed will see Kalev/Cramo start the Euroseries with two consecutive Group F home games, with Brindisi first on on October 25 and Basket Zaragoza of Spain on November 1.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Maarja Värv
Source: ERR Sport