Within a single month, the national women’s team has been forced to withdraw from two international competitions: Singapore in August, and Wuhan in September for the ongoing U23 World Cup.
The situation is becoming concerning. The Ankoay women have missed two major international events in just a few weeks. The first alert occurred in Singapore on August 13-14 for the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series, where Madagascar could not participate due to travel-related issues.
A few weeks later, the same scenario unfolded in Wuhan, China, during the 3×3 U23 World Cup. Madagascar missed their first match against Latvia and was forced to forfeit before their second match against Uganda, which ended in a 7-14 defeat. Two forfeits, two international competitions, and, above all, two travel disasters.
In high-level sports, competition does not begin at the kickoff; it starts with selection, preparation, and logistics. International travel must be planned with a sufficient safety margin, especially when it involves multiple connections and thousands of kilometers.
While flight delays or missed connections are travel hazards, a national team must plan enough time to absorb these unforeseen events. Why not have the players travel earlier? Why take the risk of arriving at the last minute? These are legitimate questions.
It would be premature to speak of a “lack of professionalism” without knowing the specific circumstances. The players cannot be held responsible for transport and logistics decisions. However, the repetition of such incidents puts the management of national team travel under scrutiny. Representing Madagascar requires organization commensurate with the stakes.
These forfeits have consequences: they deprive players of playing time and international experience, compromise prior preparation, and damage the team’s image. We attempted to seek explanations from the Malagasy Basketball Federation (FMBB), but no one was willing to comment on the matter.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-16 05:38:59 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/09/sortie-linternational-les-ankoay.html