The New Zealand men’s basketball team has withdrawn from the Olympic qualifiers in Serbia due to the costs associated with COVID-19 protocols and international travel, the country’s government council (BBNZ) announced on Friday.
New Zealand has also withdrawn from the FIBA 3×3 Olympic qualification tournament in Austria.
BBNZ agreed to “prioritize events that qualify for long-term cycles” after consulting older players and the players’ association.
The governing body will instead invest in “must-play” competitions, including the FIBA Asia Cup cycles for the men’s and women’s teams that determine qualification for each World Cup cycle.
“The board has spent a lot of time considering the future of our international teams,” said Iain Potter, chief executive of BBNZ, in a statement.
“They have accepted a level of measured risk, with a deficit forecast for this year that we will cover through sponsorship and additional funding.
“But even with the added commitment, the program would require an additional three quarters of a million dollars to ensure that we can attend all of the planned events in 2021.”
The Tall Blacks have only qualified for the Olympics twice, most recently in 2004 when they finished 10th.
