This Monday, April 20, 2020, the SNB organized two successive meetings with all of the referents of Jeep Elite and Pro B.
These meetings took place in addition to the various consultations already carried out with the players since the beginning of this health crisis.
On this occasion, the President of SNB, Amara Sy, presented all the work currently being carried out within the various working groups of the LNB in which SNB members are actively involved.
A precise report (health, contractual, economic and sporting) was exposed so that the players can be able to position themselves in an enlightened way on all of the problems with which the players of basketball are confronted.
These meetings also provided an opportunity to take stock of the various surveys that were submitted to the Jeep Elite and Pro B regarding the organization of the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 championships.
The President of the SNB also took advantage of this report to remind the teams present that, even if the sporting and economic interests of each club are important, it is now necessary to conduct a more global reflection and act in the interest general.
Each referent was finally invited to express themselves and present the position of the players on their team, both in terms of health and sports.
A clear and unanimous message: health is and will remain the priority of all players!
It was with one voice that the players of both divisions reaffirmed the importance of ensuring optimal health security for the resumption of training and matches.
It was therefore decided that no concessions would be made to protect the health of athletes and that of their families. They will therefore be particularly attentive to the conditions for recovery as well as to the medical protocol that will be considered in the coming weeks.
Players in agreement with the final stop of the 2019-2020 season
It was almost unanimously (two votes against and one abstention) that the representatives took a position on the future of the 2019-2020 championship.
The vast majority of teams have responded favorably to this season’s final stop. It is therefore out of the question for the players to envisage an end of the 2019-2020 championship during the 2020-2021 season and to draw negative and positive sports consequences from a ranking of 68 games.
Sports inequity, the risk of an uncertain and overly busy calendar or the overly troubled sanitary conditions were the strong arguments put forward by the majority of players.
An essential collaboration between the different actors but too hasty sports decisions
The players point out that, faced with this unprecedented health crisis, it is essential to continue to collaborate and exchange with the various players in basketball in order to find adequate solutions to allow the sustainability of this sport.
However, they deplore too premature a decision about the calendar and the modalities of the 2020-2021 season.
Indeed, even if reflection on the different recovery scenarios is necessary, an imminent decision-making seems hasty given the many data still unknown.
The dates and conditions for deconfinement are, for example, not yet final and the working group relating to health has not yet finalized its study (medical protocol for recovery, emergency measures in the event of new contamination, re-athletics basketball players etc).
Essential information that will allow you to make a coherent and informed decision.
The players therefore wish to alert the various players to the importance of conducting a more in-depth and serene reflection and on the need to reason step by step, using official and certain information.
In view of future government and institutional decisions and the permanent evolution of the situation, the SNB is already planning to schedule very soon further consultations with all of the Jeep Elite and Pro B advisors.