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The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has hailed the delivery of a “successful” window of FIBA Continental Cup Qualifiers across four continents in November amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
A total of 78 qualifying matches, with 72 teams and 870 players from around the world, were played in biosecurity bubbles in 15 different cities in Africa, America, Asia and Europe.
These precautionary measures were implemented by the FIBA Medical Commission after consultation with the World Health Organization.
Only four games were postponed due to COVID-19 concerns.
Two matches involving Hungary and two matches involving North Macedonia were postponed after players from the nations tested positive for the virus.
In preparation for the qualifiers, 18 webinars were organized to increase understanding and awareness of the COVID-19 protocols among host locations, participating nations, and local authorities, with over 400 attendees in total.
All athletes and team members were required to submit two negative COVID-19 tests before traveling to the bubbles, and they could not be more than 72 hours and five days old respectively..
More than 5,000 polymerase chain reaction tests were dispatched before the trip and more than 4,000 organized on site.
The November gaming window was shown by 53 broadcasters in 166 territories and worldwide in livebasketball.tv, according to FIBA.
The third and final window in this round of the FIBA Continental Cup Qualifiers is scheduled for February 2021 and will be held again in bubbles.
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