FIBA U18 European Basketball Championship Resumes After Viral Outbreak Among 6 Teams

FIBA announced that the 2023 U18 European Championship will resume as scheduled on Wednesday following a viral outbreak that affected six teams, per ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

According to Givony, "several dozen players and delegation members from the teams of Finland, Greece, Lithuania, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey showed symptoms of nausea, fever, abdominal pain and diarrhea since Monday," which resulted in "multiple players" spending a night in the hospital. All six teams were staying in the same hotel in Nis, Serbia, and the cause of the illness remains unknown.

"Some of the teams' personnel continue to be weakened by the illness but the majority of those affected have either recovered or on their way to full recovery," FIBA said in a statement. "The Serbian Basketball Federation are waiting for the official results of the tests conducted by the relevant health authorities investigating the exact cause of the illness."

The statement also noted that the six teams had the option to postpone Wednesday's games to Thursday, but each of them declined.

This year's tournament has faced roadblocks from the get-go.

Givony noted that the first day saw multiple injuries caused by slippery floors, which led to a "protest as players refused to meaningfully contest the final five minutes of a game" due to the poor conditions of the court.