FIBA lifts ban on English players on British basketball team

LONDON (AP) - Chicago Bulls swingman Luol Deng and Pops Mensah-Bonsu of the Dallas Mavericks will try to help Britain's national basketball qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.

FIBA, the sport's world governing body, lifted its ban on English players competing on the British team after a funding dispute was resolved with British sports bodies.

"The government authorities promised to work constructively with England Basketball to move the sport forward in view of the 2012 London Olympic Games and to bring all stakeholders together under the umbrella of the national governing body," FIBA said in a statement Monday.

British Performance Basketball, a body set up to help the men's and women's teams qualify for the 2012 Games, said the issue had been "successfully resolved" and it would continue preparations for the EuroBasket Division B competitions in August and September.

If successful, each team will face two promotion playoff matches in September to reach EuroBasket Division A. Britain needs to reach that level to have a chance of qualifying for the Olympics.

Deng, who was born in Sudan and grew up in London, received British citizenship last year. Monsah-Bonsu was born in London and moved to the United States when he was 16. The two are to meet up with the British squad Friday at a training camp in Florida.

England, Wales and Scotland compete individually at world championships and Commonwealth Games, but are part of a combined Britain team for the Olympics.

FIBA has ruled that a British team must qualify for either the 2009 or 2011 European Championships in order to play at the 2012 Olympics.