Kosovo has been drawn into a tough group in the 3x3 basketball competition at the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games, where it will face Serbia, Türkiye and Portugal. The presence of Kosovo and Serbia in the same group has attracted particular attention, as in competitions organized by FIBA, matchups between the two countries are usually avoided in the early stages of the tournament.
Speaking about the situation, the president of the Basketball Federation of Kosovo (FBK), Arben Fetahu, said during an appearance on the SportCast program that there is still no official confirmation as to whether the draw will be changed, but that there are no obstacles from Kosovo’s side to playing the match.
“We have no official confirmation. We have asked through our Committee and said that if there is anything new regarding the draw. If this were a competition organized by FIBA, Kosovo and Serbia could not play each other at any level. In other words, there are certain restrictions, for example, Ukraine and Russia, or Kosovo and Serbia cannot play each other. This is to avoid any potential conflict that could go beyond the boundaries of the court. Since this is an event organized by the International Olympic Committee of the Mediterranean Games, as far as I know, there is no such restriction. We are preparing. Our 3x3 team has been selected. We have provided the information to the Olympic Committee. Naturally, we will go there with a team that we hope will also serve us for the 2030 Mediterranean Games here. So we are trying to go with younger teams. As far as we are concerned, there is no restriction from our state on playing against the Serbian national team. I do not know whether this will also apply to them. But we are preparing as best as we can for this draw, which for us has been the toughest possible. In other words, we are all focusing only on Serbia as an opponent, but the other two opponents are also exceptional. So we are trying to prepare as well as we can,” Fetahu emphasized.The Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games will officially begin on August 21, 2026, with the opening ceremony at the “Erasmo Iacovone” Stadium in Taranto, while the sporting events will run until September 3, 2026.
In Kosovo’s group, alongside Serbia, are Portugal and Türkiye.
