‘We can feel the interceptions happening; players and staff are safe,’ says Indian basketball captain Gurbaz Sandhu

Doha, March 5 (IANS) The Indian men national basketball team captain Gurbaz Sandhu shared the experience from Doha, Qatar, where the team has been stranded due to the West Asia crisis, saying, The team heard the missile interceptions over Doha on Thursday, but we remain safe at our hotel, as players and staff are being well looked after by officials and authorities.

The Indian contingent went to Doha, Qatar for their participation in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers, but is currently stranded there after airspace disruptions halted travel plans due to the US-Israel attack on Iran that disrupted the airspace in the Middel East region.

“Right now, the Qatar Federation and the BFI (Basketball Federation of India), along with the embassy, have arranged accommodation for us in the same hotel where we were staying earlier for the matches. There is no issue with accommodation at all; they have taken proper care of it,” Sandhu told IANS.

Sandhu explained that the team has been staying indoors at the hotel, where security arrangements remain strong and the players are continuing to remain safe. We are staying inside the hotel, so security is fully ensured. As for outside security, no one can guarantee that, but we haven’t faced any issues so far,” he said.

He added that although the team can sense the ongoing interceptions in the area, there have been no reported casualties or incidents in the immediate vicinity of their accommodation. “No casualties have been reported around the hotel. We can definitely feel the interceptions happening, but nothing has occurred close to the hotel. All the players and staff members are safe and sound,” Sandhu added.

The Indian team was originally scheduled to return home on the morning of March 4, but the closure of regional airspace has forced officials to reassess travel arrangements. Sandhu said representatives from the Indian embassy have already met the team and are coordinating with authorities as they monitor the evolving situation.

“We were supposed to come back on the early morning of the 4th, but the airspace is closed. Yesterday, the ambassador from the embassy came to meet us. The problem is that Qatar is quite close to the Iranian border, which is why they are unable to open the airspace anytime soon,” he mentioned.

According to Sandhu, the team is awaiting further updates on whether the airspace can reopen, though the situation on the ground suggests that it may take longer.

“As of now, they have given time until tomorrow morning and will provide an update then if there is any new information. However, there are very few chances because even today, missiles were intercepted here in Doha. If the situation escalates further, it will become difficult for Qatar to reopen the airspace.”

However, he mentioned that the officials are exploring alternative travel routes for the squad to return to India in the meantime, saying, “So right now we are trying to see if we can travel to Riyadh. There are limited flights operating from here. We are planning that if the visa process and other formalities are completed, we will try to leave from Riyadh since flights are operating from there.”

The disruption has also affected the team’s competitive schedule, with matches in the qualifiers being postponed due to the security situation. But Sandhu mentioned that FIBA will communicate the revised schedule to all teams and hold the matches before the next window begins.

“FIBA issued a notice just a day later saying that the matches would be postponed. They mentioned that the venues will remain the same, but the matches will be conducted shortly before the next window begins,” he concluded.

--IANS

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