An outbreak at the FIBA U18 European Championship is threatening to postpone games on the eve of the knockout rounds in Nis, Serbia.
The tournament has been marred by issues since the opening day, when slippery floors caused multiple injuries and an unprecedented protest as players refused to meaningfully contest the final five minutes of a game because of the poor playing conditions.
Members of six participating teams -- Finland, Greece, Lithuania, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey -- have had symptoms of illness including fever, abdominal pain and diarrhea in the past two days, multiple sources told ESPN. Several players were hobbled or sat out games Monday because of illness. On the rest day Tuesday, more than two dozen players complained of being sick, and several were escorted to a local hospital via ambulance.
Multiple players and team officials told ESPN they believe the cause of their illness is food poisoning, but FIBA is calling it an apparent "viral infection." FIBA has requested players submit to blood testing and sent officials to test the kitchen and pool at the hotel where all six affected teams are staying, a source told ESPN.
After ESPN requested comment from FIBA, a statement was sent confirming that "a number of players and delegation members from six teams have been showing symptoms of a viral infection. The exact cause of the sickness and a diagnosis have not yet been established. All of the affected are under constant supervision by team doctors and the local health authorities."
Some of the affected teams told ESPN they are down four to six players each, which might make playing the knockout round games scheduled for Wednesday impossible as teams only brought 12 players for each roster.
FIBA said it will "continue to monitor the situation and will share any updates, including a possible decision regarding the game schedule, with all stakeholders accordingly."
FIBA was asked to clarify additional details regarding the outbreak, including the status of sick players, but said "no further comments will be made at this stage."