No place in the Olympic Village?
So far, the basketball players have been playing the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament in Lille. However, the knockout round will now take place in Paris, but there are major issues. There is no more space in the athletes' village. An alternative accommodation outside is not an option. The federation is upset.
The upcoming move of the two German basketball teams from Lille to Paris for the Olympic Games is proving to be anything but smooth. According to information from the "Bild" newspaper, the organizing committee has asked the German Olympic Sports Confederation if it would be a problem if captain Dennis Schröder and his teammates would not be staying in the popular athletes' village.
"I am appalled. This is unbelievable. And that something like this comes out a day before our important game against France is simply unprofessional. I can't understand how this could happen. It was clear that eight men's and eight women's teams would be coming from Lille to Paris," said Armin Andres, vice-president of the German Basketball Federation and head of the German Press Agency delegation.
An alternative accommodation outside is not an option. Both the women's and men's teams are to move into the Olympic village. Both teams have already secured their place in the quarter-finals with two wins each. The men will play France in Lille on Friday, while the women will play their last group game in northern France on Sunday. The knockout round begins in Paris on Tuesday. In the 200-kilometer-away Lille, all basketball players are accommodated together in a small village, which feels more like a World Cup than the Olympics, as noted by national coach Gordon Herbert.
Despite the successful performances in the preliminary round, the basketball teams face the challenge of finding accommodation in Paris due to space constraints in the athletes' village. The German Basketball Federation and its teams, including captain Dennis Schröder's team, are set to play their respective quarter-finals in the Olympic tournament.
