Basketball Australia launch probe into Cambage incident

Basketball Australia has opened an investigation into Liz Cambage for a breach of the organisation’s “integrity framework and code of conduct” during a pre-Olympic Games training scrimmage against Nigeria - just days before the Opals begin their gold medal campaign.

In another twist to one of Australia’s highest-profile athletes withdrawing from Tokyo, BA announced its probe into a physical and verbal altercation between Cambage and Nigerian rivals during a closed-doors session.

Cambage, 29, withdrew from the Games citing poor mental health and her trepidation about going into another bubble environment for the tournament, in which the Opals are gunning for an elusive gold medal.

Cambage has been forced to deny she broke team COVID-19 protocols in Las Vegas, but has admitted to a “heated” incident in the practice match against Nigeria last week.

In a series of social media posts over the weekend, Cambage called reports of the reasons for her dramatic exit from the Opals’ Olympic Games squad as “lies” and “fake news”.

But in a brief statement issued only eight days out from the Opals’ first match against Belgium, BA said its integrity division was investigating Cambage for her actions against Nigeria.

Liz Cambage is being investigated by Basketball Australia for a potential breach of the code of conduct in a pre-Olympic Games scrimmage session.

“The circumstances surrounding the incident that occurred during the scrimmage between Nigeria and Australia involving Liz Cambage are currently under investigation for a breach of the integrity framework and code of conduct,” BA said.

“As Liz has withdrawn from the Olympic Games due to mental health reasons we will not make any comments on the status of the investigation until the matter is concluded. The investigation is being managed by Basketball Australia’s integrity division.”

Both the Australian and Nigerian teams are believed to have video of the alleged incident, but it is yet to surface in the public domain. The match wasn’t covered by any media outlets.

When asked about the incident, a Nigerian team spokesperson told the Herald: “The team has decided not to make any public statements at this time. Right now, we are focused on the Olympics and we wish the Australian Opals the best of luck.”

The Opals outlined their Olympic Games credentials with an upset win over Team USA on the weekend, overcoming a 13-point half-time deficit. It was the first exhibition match the gold medal favouries had lost since 2011.

But the storm over Cambage’s withdrawal from the Games continues to rumble on with Opals coach Sandy Brondello hoping a replacement player will be approved.

The Cambage news comes as the International Olympic Committee nervously waits for the biggest sports show on the planet to begin on Wednesday.

Australia’s softballers will open the Games against host nation Japan, travelling to Fukushima by train on Monday. The team were the first Australian representatives to arrive in Japan and have spent more than a month preparing for the sport’s reintroduction to the Olympic format.

Rookie Olympian Gabbie Plain said constant biosecurity protocols playing for University of Washington this year had prepared her for the COVID-19 Games.

“When the masks came in, my team went fully into it, everyone in the sporting area at Washington was wearing masks, and we had to have COVID tests before all of our tournaments,” Plain said. “Anytime we travelled we were essentially locked down into that hotel, going between the hotel and the fields and back again.

“It definitely set me up well for this pre-training period and the Olympics. I’ve gotten very used to it over the last six months.”

The IOC held its breath as it desperately tries to control an outbreak inside the athletes’ village after another competitor tested positive to COVID-19.

Czech Republic beach volleyball player Ondrej Perusic was found with the virus on Monday.

“He has absolutely no symptoms,” said Czech Olympic team head Martik Doktor in a statement. “We are dealing with all the details and naturally the anti-epidemic measures within the team.”

On Saturday, the Czech Olympic Committee reported a staff member had tested positive upon landing in Tokyo.

The status of South Africa’s men’s soccer team is under a cloud with more than 20 members of the country’s Olympic team now under strict isolation in the village. Two players and a support staff member have already tested positive to COVID-19.

Eight Team GB members are also in quarantine after being deemed close contacts of a positive case who shared the same flight as them to Japan.

A heavily restricted opening ceremony will be held in Tokyo on Friday.

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