"We're looking at 2019, that's when the World Cup is scheduled for," Krasnenkov told Russian sports news site R-Sport.

"We're capable of hosting the football World Cup [in 2018], so why can't we hold the basketball one too?"

Russia is set for a deluge of sport this decade as it prepares to host various major sporting events in the next ten years, including the World University Games later this year, the Winter Olympic Games in 2014 and the FIFA World Cup in 2018.

Other events heading for Russia include this year's World Athletics Championships and the Rugby Sevens World Cup and the World Ice Hockey Championships in 2016. 

The country had previously planned to bid for the FIBA European Basketball Championship in 2017, but were instructed by the Russian Government to abandon their plans due to the amount of sporting events already due to take place in the nation around the same time.

"We talked to the Sports Ministry," said Krasnenkov.

"The Ministry asked us not to put in Russia's candidature until 2018.

"The country has gathered a lot obligations for the period until 2018 and needs to host a lot of major competitions."

Last November FIBA changed the calendar so that after the 2014 World Cup in Spain, the next edition will move to 2019 instead of 2018 with a total of 32 teams - up from 24 - participating.

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