Lithuanian Basketball Federation president Mindaugas Balciunas has suspended his duties and transferred his powers to the organization’s senior vice president amid growing tensions surrounding Lithuanian basketball and the national team’s struggles.
The decision comes after a difficult period for Lithuania’s men’s national team in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Qualifiers, with Mindaugas Balciunas also facing public criticism from veteran Jonas Valanciunas.
Lithuania currently sits fourth in Group J with a 4-4 record, behind Turkey, Serbia and Italy. Only the top three teams will advance to the World Cup.
The latest qualifying window added further pressure. Lithuania suffered a heavy 94-66 loss to Turkey before responding with a 78-73 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The team was without a significant number of its top players during the window, with the lack of roster continuity becoming one of the main talking points around the national team.
Balciunas suspends his duties
Balciunas announced that he will temporarily step away from his responsibilities and hand his powers as head of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation to the senior vice president, in accordance with the organization’s statutes.
In a message addressed to colleagues and members of the Lithuanian basketball community, Balciunas said the level of public tension had reached a point where he felt he needed to act.
“Dear Colleagues and members of the Lithuanian basketball community, I have to acknowledge that the level of public aggression has reached a point where tolerating it has become difficult both for those around me personally and for the overall situation in Lithuanian basketball, with the consequences becoming increasingly hard to predict.
For that reason, I believe I need to take action to reduce the public tension. On Monday, I will suspend my duties and transfer my powers as head of the “Lithuanian Basketball” association to the senior vice president, as provided for in the organization’s statutes.
I believe this decision will help calm the public emotions, allow the issues that have arisen to be resolved peacefully, and enable the basketball community to once again focus on the main goal of Lithuanian basketball – winning on the court.
The financial and organizational plan for the current year will be handed over to the members of the Executive Committee.
I thank all of you for the opportunities I have been given in recent years and for our work together. I firmly believe in a bright future for Lithuanian basketball.”
Jonas Valanciunas challenged Balciunas
One of the strongest public criticisms came from Jonas Valanciunas, who questioned Balciunas’ leadership while discussing the criticism directed at players who do not join the national team.
“If we’re such non-patriots because we didn’t come, then I have a question for Mindaugas: Why doesn’t he resign? If you’re a patriot and you love Lithuania so much, and you see that it’s hell, that things are really bad and the division is terrible, then say: ‘For Lithuania, I’m leaving.'”
Valanciunas continued by explaining that, in his view, stepping away could itself be an act of patriotism if it helped improve Lithuanian Basketball Federation.
“If that makes Lithuanian basketball better, I’ll leave, and we’ll make it better. Because I want Lithuanian basketball to improve. Because I’m a patriot.’ But we, the players, are the non-patriots because we didn’t come… All right…”
The veteran center also rejected the idea that the issue was simply about Lithuania’s results on the court.
“This isn’t about the result anymore. It’s about the image and reputation of all Lithuanian basketball. The division within basketball. For me, this is a scandal. And after scandals, usually you resign…”
Jonas Valanciunas later stressed that he was not directly demanding Balciunas’ resignation, instead describing his comments as his personal view of the situation.
“I’m not suggesting anything to him. I’m definitely not trying to remove him. I’m just thinking out loud. If we’re not patriots because we didn’t come, then where is the patriotism from his side if [his resignation] would help Lithuanian basketball? Maybe then none of us are patriots?”
