The Colombian Basketball Federation is taking legal action against an independent basketball team in Russia that allegedly used the name and uniforms of Colombia's national team in a tournament.
The Colombian Basketball Federation has announced its intention to pursue legal action against an independent basketball team in Russia that allegedly impersonated Colombia's national team in a regional tournament. The Russian team, participating in the Russian Friendship Cup in Perm, has been accused of using the Colombian team's name and uniforms without authorization.
The Colombian federation has categorically denied any connection to the team, emphasizing that it has not granted endorsement to any club to participate in the Russian tournament. "The Colombian Basketball Federation did not grant endorsement to any club to participate in the Russian Friendship Cup," the organization stated in a press release.
Russian Basketball Team Faces Legal Action for Using Colombia's Name and Uniforms
However, the president of the Russian Basketball Federation, Andrei Kirilenko, maintains that the team did coordinate with the Colombian government on private channels and asserts that they did nothing improper. "We would like to emphasize that all our interactions with the Colombian team took place exclusively through official communication channels," Kirilenko told Match TV. "Our position remains unchanged: All communications and coordination are conducted only through verified and official sources."
The team posing as Colombia has struggled mightily in the tournament, suffering a 155-53 defeat against a local squad and a 108-57 loss to Venezuela. Their dismal performance has prompted Kirilenko to announce that the team's scheduled match against Russia on Friday has been canceled.
Russian Basketball Team Faces Legal Action for Using Colombia's Name and Uniforms
"After the first game, we understand that the current level of the Colombian team is lagging behind what was expected, which causes some disappointment for all of us," Kirilenko explained. "In this regard, we have already revised the schedule and format of the tournament to ensure a more balanced and competitive competition."
The incident involving the unauthorized use of Colombia's identity highlights the ongoing sanctions faced by Russian athletes and sports institutions due to the country's invasion of Ukraine. Russia was recently barred from participating in the upcoming Paris Olympics as a consequence of its military actions.
Russian Basketball Team Faces Legal Action for Using Colombia's Name and Uniforms
Moreover, Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva had her gold medal from the Beijing Winter Olympics revoked after testing positive for a banned substance. Her team was disqualified, and the gold medal was awarded to the United States over two years after the initial event.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Russian Basketball Team Faces Legal Action for Using Colombia's Name and Uniforms
