By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
FIBA and Paris 2024 Organizing Committee have agreed to change the venue of the preliminary round of both men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, following severe criticism of the initial’s venue’s condition.
The Organizing Committee and FIBA have first agreed to use the facilities in Porte de Versailles (Arena Paris Sud), home of the annual Paris International Agricultural Show, as the tournament venue as a way to cut down organization costs by using existing venues. French internationals Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum, and Vincent Poirier reacted to the news, denouncing this choice.
Criticism about the venue and its condition blew up and the Organizing Committee, in co-operation with FIBA has agreed that the venue’s specificities were no longer fit for the event.
The two parties are working together towards finding the ideal venue to host the basketball tournaments of the 2024 Olympics, yet there’s no final decision on the new facility.
Per FIBA’s announcement:
Paris 2024 Organising Committee and FIBA today agreed to work together on identifying a new venue for the preliminary round of the men’s and women’s basketball competitions, which will no longer take place at the Arena Paris Sud.
Paris will host the third Olympic Games in its history in 2024, exactly 100 years since the last edition in 1924. As Olympic basketball did not feature at the 1924 Games, there is a huge sense of excitement and anticipation as France prepares to host the world’s greatest basketball players in 2024.
Paris 2024 and FIBA have held positive discussions on the venue plan for Olympic basketball competitions. Iconic venues such as Place de La Concorde for the 3×3 competitions and the Bercy Arena for the final round of the men’s and women’s basketball competitions have been approved, with FIBA confirming that both venues will offer world-class conditions for both athletes and fans.
A venue review conducted in 2020 identified the Arena Paris Sud (Porte de Versailles) Hall 6 as a suitable venue to host the basketball group phase. This choice was totally in line with the vision of Paris 2024 and the IOC New Norm which promotes a responsible approach in the choice of competition venue (95% already existing or temporary) and which is a fundamental commitment of Paris 2024 bid.
Paris 2024 and FIBA have worked together for several months, however, following the most recent sporting and technical assessments, Paris 2024 and FIBA have agreed that this venue will no longer host basketball competitions due to its specificities.
Paris 2024 and FIBA will continue working closely together to identify a new venue for the preliminary round, which will meet Olympic requirements whilst respecting Paris 2024’s guiding principles on environmental and budgetary responsibility.
Both Paris 2024 and FIBA are confident of positive developments in the coming months in order to provide the best possible setting for the world’s greatest basketball players to shine.