Tamil Nadu, the reigning South Asian Basketball Association Club champions, have been forced to withdraw from the 2025 FIBA West Asia Super League Final 8 after tensions between India and Pakistan disrupted travel. (More Sports News)
After spending over 12 hours stranded at the airport with no available flights and more than 30 airports shut down, FIBA confirmed that Tamil Nadu's participation in the event was no longer possible. Consequently, all scheduled games involving Tamil Nadu have been cancelled.
Read the full official statement .
The team had qualified for the tournament after winning the South Asian Basketball Association Club title last month and was set to travel to Lebanon for the competition.
They were placed in Group B, alongside teams like Shabab Al Ahli, Tabiat Basketball, and Al Qadisa SC. However, due to their withdrawal, the group now features just three teams: Shabab Al Ahli, the 2024/25 FIBA WASL Gulf League champions from UAE, Tabiat from Iran, and Al Qadisa from Kuwait.
The ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan has caused significant disruptions to travel. Commercial flights have been delayed, rerouted, or cancelled as a result of the escalating tensions.
