For three months now, after the organizing committee of the 2024 Olympics (Cojo) gave up the Parc des expos at the Porte de Versailles in Paris, basketball has still not found a base for its preliminary phase.

The International Federation (Fiba), the Cojo and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are in discussions to find a solution, the most serious option being that of Villeneuve-d'Ascq (North) instead of handball.

A hypothesis already recently criticized on Twitter by the silver medalist of the Tokyo Olympics Evan Fournier, and which divides the players.

"I find it a shame," said leader Andrew Albici, interviewed during a gathering of the Blues in Nanterre before qualifying matches for the 2023 World Cup. "We have infrastructure in Paris, we want to be in Paris. It pains us in relation to that. We try to push for it to change. But we are not decision makers."

"In all team sports, he adds, we are put aside I find, while we have won medals, we have been a hit. With the hand, we are not put forward , that's a shame."

"They wanted to organize the Olympics in Paris, it turns out that Paris does not have enough places to accommodate everything. It is quite normal that sports have to move, whether it is us or others", tempers strong winger Louis Labeyrie.

"A lot of athletes might feel aggrieved, but hey, we can also take it the other way around and wonder if the people of Lille don't also deserve to watch basketball?", he philosophizes.

The leader of the Blues Evan Fournier addresses his teammates during a time-out during the final of the Olympic basketball tournament in Tokyo, August 7, 2021 Thomas COEX AFP / Archives

A board of directors of the Cojo must be held on July 12 at the end of which a choice could be announced.

"We will accept the choice. We will adapt. We know that Fiba, which is consulted (...), is not in favor of certain options. But in any case we will play where we are told", assures Boris Diaw.

"What annoys us is not knowing today," adds the general manager of the Blues.

"The announcement comes quite late if we look at the previous Olympics, the preliminary phases were prepared three years in advance, we knew where we were going."

Asked about the consequences of this late announcement, Boris Diaw notably mentioned the questions in terms of planning, preparation and organization.

“Will we finish the preparation rather next to Paris, next to Lille? And on the competition, in terms of accommodation, where are we going to be? Where are we going to train? questions,” he said.

© 2022 AFP