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Argentina's Nocioni to miss world champs with injury

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-08-27 11:44

NEW YORK - Argentine forward Andres Nocioni will miss the FIBA world championships because of an ankle sprain injury suffered in practice, he said on Thursday.

Nocioni made the announcement at a news conference in Kayseri, Turkey, after the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers advised him to withdraw.

Nocioni is under contract to play for the 76ers next season.

"The Philadelphia 76ers exercised an option in my contract that when I get injured during national team activities they can prevent me from playing," Nocioni said.

He sprained his left ankle in July but thought he would recover in time to play in the world championships, which start in Turkey on Saturday.

"The team (76ers) and the doctors advised me to not play because of the risks," Nocioni said. "A second MRI was made where damage was shown and I will have to be without doing any physical work for four to five weeks."

A team doctor recommended Nocioni stop all basketball and impact activity until the team opens training camp at the end of September, the 76ers said in a statement on their website (www.nba.com/sixers).

A further examination of the ankle will be made at that time, the 76ers said.

"It is sad because this was going to be my last FIBA world championship playing at a high level," said Nocioni, who was a member of Argentina's 2008 Olympic bronze medal-winning team.

"It broke my dream of playing here for my country."