Basketball: Visa doubts hit England

Laszlo Nemeth has been dealt another impossible hand in the run-up to Wednesday's European Championship semi-final Group A game against Russia in Moscow, with lack of visas throwing his team selection into confusion.

England Basketball, the sport's governing body, claim the Russian Federation informed them only this week of the documentation required to obtain visas for the team, which leaves on Monday.

Andy Betts, England's 7ft 1in centre, is definitely out as EB have been unable to obtain his passport from his Greek club, AEK Athens. Yesterday, EB were still trying to obtain visas for Tony Dorsey of Ostende and Mike Bernard of the Greek team Panionios.

Nemeth will also be without Andy Gardiner and Chris Haslam, whose Belgian club, Liège, say both are unfit and have refused to release them. Instead, he has called in Julius Joseph and Michael Martin, both playing on the continent, and Richard Windle of Birmingham Bullets.