Association of Macedonian basketball players: The boycott of the national team if the number of foreigners in the league increases
Association of Macedonian basketball players came out with a statement on the occasion of the announced increase in the limit for foreign basketball players in the clubs.
The Macedonian basketball players hope that we will not be put in a position to use the Macedonian basketball national team as a tool to protect themselves, and that will be their only remaining option if they do not find support from those who have the decisive role.
Below is the full announcement of the Association of Macedonian Basketball Players:
- As a result of the discussions related to the request of some of the basketball clubs to increase the number of foreign players, we raise this appeal to all sports workers and above all - the Basketball Federation. In the past years, after the number of foreign players in our league was reduced, we witnessed and are still witnessing the constant progress of our national team. In addition to that decision, several new, young and quality Macedonian basketball players emerged, who even grew into leaders of their teams.
The fact that giving young players a chance exposes them to certain risks is negligible, however, it is the only way for Macedonian basketball to progress. Any progress, no matter what it is, requires some risk. The Players Association trusts in the expertise of the people who currently run our Basketball Federation and its Board of Directors, so we expect that the seriousness of this request will be understood, as well as the major consequences that their potential affirmation of this same request would cause.
We, the Macedonian basketball players, sincerely hope that we will not be put in a position to use the Macedonian basketball national team as a tool to protect ourselves, and that will be our only remaining option if we do not find support from those who have the decisive role.
We emphasize once again that this decision is one of the key for the development of Macedonian players in the future and is a topic that is the most painful for the entire Macedonian basketball. The future of Macedonian basketball remains in the hands of the Federation - Sincerely, Association of Basketball Players of Macedonia.
