Azerbaijan skips U16 basketball tournament in Yerevan

PanARMENIAN.Net - Following the group draw held on February 5, it was confirmed that Azerbaijan’s U16 basketball team will not take part in the upcoming European U16 C Division Championship in Yerevan.

Secretary General of the Basketball Federation of Armenia, Artur Nazaryan, told Factor.am that the withdrawal was not unexpected.

“In December last year, the Armenian Basketball Federation reached out to the government and received high-level assurances that Armenia would guarantee the safety of the Azerbaijani youth team. We submitted that security guarantee to FIBA Europe. However, Azerbaijan later withdrew from participation,” said Nazaryan.

“For us, this outcome was somewhat foreseeable, considering we’re dealing with youth teams, and decisions are largely made by parents. Two years ago, when the U18 championship was held in Baku, we couldn’t attend either as our players’ parents were firmly opposed, and the matter didn’t even reach serious discussion,” he added.

Azerbaijan’s U20 team also skipped the European B Division Championship held in Yerevan in the summer of 2025.

Yerevan will host the European U16 C Division Championship from July 4 to 12. Armenia’s U16 team is in Group B alongside Gibraltar, Andorra, Malta, and Monaco. Group A includes Kosovo, Albania, San Marino, and Moldova.