Cambage out of Opals' Olympic qualifiers

Australian basketball star Liz Cambage has been ruled out of the Opals' Rio 2016 Olympic Games qualifying matches and warm-up series against Japan.

Australian basketball star Liz Cambage

Aussie Liz Cambage has been ruled out of the Opals' Rio 2016 Olympic Games qualifying matches. (AAP)

Liz Cambage's decision to go to a music festival instead of an Australian Opals training camp has cost her a place in next month's qualifying series for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The star centre was required to attend at least one of two team sessions held in Melbourne at the weekend to get medical clearance ahead of three warm-up matches against Japan starting on Monday.

But the 23-year-old instead went to Splendour in the Grass in Byron Bay.

As a result, she was dropped from the squad - meaning she will miss this week's practice games and the two-leg Oceania Championships against New Zealand beginning on August 15 in Melbourne.

Cambage was due to return from a 10-month injury layoff, having ruptured her achilles tendon just before last year's FIBA Women's World Championships in Turkey.

Opals coach Brendan Joyce said he was both disappointed and surprised by Cambage's move, but the decision to drop her from the team was "pretty easy".

"We haven't been emotional about it - it's a decision that had to be made, not only for Liz but for the team," Joyce told AAP.

"We've got to put the team first and our goal is to use this Japan series with the players that want to be involved and are dedicated to represent their country, put their best foot forward and then we select a team to play against New Zealand."

Basketball Australia said it will continue to assist Cambage in her rehabilitation.


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Source: AAP


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