It was on Monday evening that the surprising news came that 30-year-old star and Israeli professional Amanda Zahui is leaving the national team.
Zahui gave several reasons to SVT, including that the union did not get in touch when Hamas's lightning attack on Israel began, but also racism:
"There's a lot that's been swept under the carpet, with racism, things that shouldn't be said and ignorant things. The federation has not had our back," Zahui said.
'A setback'
Nina Baresso has experienced what she calls "culture clashes".
"But this was in the 90s, and we had hoped and hoped that the development would have gone even further. This is a setback," Baresso said.
TT: How do you think the union should act?
"I think we should get to the bottom of it, it's quite serious. Considering that Amanda is a role model for so many young people, it is important to sort this out. No player should have to experience this at this level in 2023," says Baresso and continues:
"Especially not when basketball talks so much about diversity and that we are one of the few sports that integrates so many.
"Working really hard"
The Swedish Basketball Association's sports director Lars Johansson thinks it is "super sad" that Amanda Zahui is leaving the national team, but rejects the criticism of racism.
"In my conversation with Amanda, she doesn't really express any criticism about how things are now around the team or the coaches. I interpret it as she collects events or feelings throughout her time in the national team since her youth.
"We are working these issues to ensure that they do not occur, we have a work on core values where we do a good job and where we want to have zero tolerance. I don't buy that we're not doing enough," Johansson told TT.
Listen to Amanda Zahui in the video below explain more why she chose to quit the national team.
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"There's a lot that's been swept under the carpet, with racism, things that shouldn't be said and ignorant things. The federation has not had our back," says Amanda Zahu when SVT meets her. Photo: Bildbyrån/SVT