Jordan’s national team is currently participating in the Under-19 Basketball World Cup for only the second time ever—and for the first time since 1995—but politics has already spoiled the celebration. On Sunday morning, the team informed FIBA that it would not show up for its scheduled game against Israel, resulting in a technical 20–0 win for the Israeli team.
In a statement from the Jordanian Basketball Federation, it was announced: “Following correspondence between the federation and FIBA regarding the Under-19 team’s match against Israel in the World Cup held in Switzerland, which was supposed to take place on Sunday, the Jordanian federation requested that the game not be held. Accordingly, FIBA decided not to hold the match between the two sides.”
President of the Jordanian Basketball Federation Ahmad Al-Hanandeh told the Jordanian channel Al-Mamlaka: “We made the appropriate decision not to play against Israel in order to protect the interests of our players. We hope FIBA will view our decision from the right perspective and that there won’t be significant consequences for the federation or the players. We wanted to avoid exposing the players to any situation that could open the door to bullying, harassment, or psychological pressure that might affect their performance or safety.”
According to the Roya news site, the decision drew widespread reaction across social media. Activists and users throughout the Arab world praised the Jordanian federation’s stance, stating that “there is no dispute over the Palestinian cause” and that the withdrawal was “a moral victory greater than any athletic result.”
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Chairman of the Israeli Basketball Association Amos Frishman said earlier on Sunday morning in an interview with Ynet: “We had hoped the game would take place, especially given the peace between the two countries. But I can also, to some extent, understand the Jordanians—they were under immense pressure.”
Frishman continued: “Still, I hoped the match would be held. That’s the difference between sports and everything else—it’s supposed to bridge between nations. Our team and the Jordanians sit at tables next to each other in the dining hall, but there are things that are bigger than us.”
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King Abdullah of Jordan
(Photo: AFP PHOTO / HO / LEBANESE PRESIDENCY, Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Thanks to the technical win, Israel improved to a 2–0 record, having defeated host nation Switzerland the day before. On Tuesday at 21:00, Israel will face the Dominican Republic and aim to finish the group stage undefeated.