Spanish men's basketball coach Scariolo furious over 'dangerous' wait for dressing room
Former Raptors assistant criticizes organizers for delaying access to recovery facilities
Spanish men's basketball coach Sergio Scariolo hit out at the Tokyo 2020 organizers after his side were made to wait almost half an hour before being allowed back into the dressing room following their 88-77 Group C victory over hosts Japan on Monday.
The Italian called for changes to be made, saying that making athletes wait to access recovery facilities could potentially lead to more injuries.
"There needs to be more respect shown for the players," Scariolo told a news conference.
The reason for the wait was not immediately clear.
"Their legs are tired, and they should be treated with respect; protocols have to be changed," Scariolo said.
"Everyone's here for one thing and that's the players and we need to look after their health. Honestly, I'm not just annoyed for the sake of being annoyed, I repeat, it's incredibly dangerous."
Scariolo served as an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors for three years before becoming head coach of Italian club Virtus Bologna last month.
World champions and 2016 bronze medallists Spain face Argentina on Thursday, while Japan take on Slovenia.
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With files from CBC Sports
