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Russian Basketball Team Facing Lawsuit From Colombia for Allegedly Posing as Its National Team

The Colombian Basketball Federation (FCB) has filed a lawsuit against the Russian Basketball Federation (RBF) for allegedly posing as its national team at a recent international tournament

The lawsuit, which was filed in a Moscow court on Monday, alleges that the RBF used fake Colombian passports and uniforms to field a team of Russian players at the 2023 FIBA AmeriCup tournament in Brazil.

The FCB is seeking $10 million in damages from the RBF, as well as an injunction prohibiting the RBF from using the Colombian name or flag in the future.

The RBF has denied the allegations, and said that it will vigorously defend itself against the lawsuit.

The lawsuit comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and Colombia. The two countries have been at odds over a number of issues, including the Russian annexation of Crimea and the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The FCB's lawsuit is the latest in a series of scandals involving Russian athletes posing as other nationalities.

• In 2016, Russian athletes were banned from the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro after it was revealed that they had been involved in a state-sponsored doping program.
• In 2017, Russian hackers were accused of posing as American athletes in order to gain access to the computer systems of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The FCB's lawsuit is a reminder of the lengths to which some Russian athletes and officials are willing to go in order to gain an advantage in international competition.