Burundian champions Dynamo Basketball Club have withdrawn from the Basketball Africa League (BAL) 2024 after a second straight forfeiture related to their refusal to display the Visit Rwanda shirt sponsorship. The development was announced by BAL president Amadou Gallo Fall on Tuesday. Fall claimed that the Burundian side further refused to comply with the BAL's rules and requirements governing jerseys and uniforms, thereby forfeiting Tuesday's Kalahari Conference game against Angolan powerhouse Petro de Luanda at SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa. ALSO READ: BAL 2024: Burundi's Dynamo forfeits FUS Rabat game Under FIBA rules, two forfeitures in the same tournament trigger the club's automatic withdrawal. “This is a very unfortunate situation for the players and fans, and we share the frustrations of everyone involved. All remaining Kalahari Conference games will be played as scheduled, and we look forward to engaging fans in Pretoria through expanded fan and community events, Fall said in a statement. ALSO READ: BAL 2024: Gueye slams Burundi’s interference amid Dynamo forfeit Dynamo’s withdrawal from BAL comes two days after the same club refused to sport the ‘Visit Rwanda’ logo at the bottom front of their jerseys, forcing the club to forfeit their second Kalahari Conference game against Moroccan side FUS Rabat on Monday. BAL, organised by the NBA and FIBA, has had a partnership with the Rwanda development board since the tournament's inaugural 2021 season which was hosted in Kigali. The existing partnership indicates that all teams sport “Visit Rwanda” on their jerseys but Dynamo failed to do so, leading to forfeit against the FUS Rabat game. Dynamo officials had put black tape over the logo during a BAL season-opening 86-73 victory over the Cape Town Tigers on March 9, leaving BAL officials unimpressed. ALSO READ: BAL 2024: Burundi's Dynamo forfeits FUS Rabat game
