The French Basketball Federation has withdrawn its Pôle France men's team from the Nationale Masculine 1 championship for the season following a violent hazing scandal at the INSEP training center in Paris.
The governing body announced the decision on Tuesday, October 6, after ten players were provisionally excluded over an initiation incident that occurred in mid-September.
Younger prospects who had recently entered the national training structure were struck by older teammates during the night of September 12 to 13 at the facility.
The federation had initially postponed Pôle France's first three scheduled fixtures in Nationale Masculine 1 while evaluating potential workarounds before determining that a general forfeiture was unavoidable.
In a statement, the federation explained that no viable solutions could guarantee the team's participation under satisfactory conditions without placing excessive physical demands on its youngest athletes.
Officials noted that several of the remaining eligible squad members were already competing concurrently in the Championnat de France U18 Élite.
The federation added that withdrawing the team was necessary to preserve sporting equity for all clubs in the division, as it could not circumvent the interim disciplinary measures currently in effect.
National academy structure and background
Pôle France Basketball is the flagship elite development program operated by the French Basketball Federation at the National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance, situated in the Bois de Vincennes in eastern Paris.
The academy gathers top teenage prospects from across France to combine intensive athletic preparation with academic schooling under direct federation oversight.
To accelerate player development, the academy's senior men's squad competes in Nationale Masculine 1, the third tier of the French basketball league system, offering prospects competitive experience against adult professional teams.
While the third-division team has been removed from competition, the federation confirmed that the Pôle France U18 squad and the academy's two women's teams will continue their respective league schedules without interruption.
Administrative investigation and legal report
An administrative investigation is underway at the sports institute to establish the precise circumstances of the hazing incident and identify all individuals responsible.
The French Basketball Federation has also filed a formal report with the public prosecutor under Article 40 of the French Code of Criminal Procedure, which obliges public authorities to report potential criminal offenses.
