30-06-2025
Jordan boycotts U19 basketball match against Zionist entity
AMMAN/LAUSANNE: Jordan's U19 national basketball team refused to play against the Zionist entity in their World Cup group stage match in Switzerland on Sunday, following days of mounting public pressure and a wave of online activism demanding a boycott. In a statement, the Jordan Basketball Federation confirmed it had officially requested not to play the game, scheduled for June 29. The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) responded by canceling the match and awarding Zionist entity a 20-0 win. 'Based on the correspondence between the Jordanian Basketball Federation and FIBA... the federation requested not to play the match,' the statement read. 'Accordingly, FIBA decided not to hold the match and to award the result in favor of the other team.'
The decision follows weeks of mobilization in Jordan. BDS Jordan, which had launched an online boycott campaign earlier this month under the hashtag 'Our team against normalization', praised the move, calling it a 'national and principled stance.' 'Salute to the Jordanian Basketball Federation and our U19 Falcons for their firm patriotic position that deserves our collective appreciation,' BDS Jordan wrote on Instagram. 'Long live your free spirit, heroes.'
Across social media, young Jordanians flooded platforms like X and Instagram with support for the boycott, describing participation as 'whitewashing the crimes of the occupation.' One post by BDS Jordan read: 'Every point scored against the occupation's team is a point their media uses to sell the image of 'coexistence.' But there can be no coexistence with an occupier that bombs Gaza and demolishes homes over children's heads.'
'A political moment'
The uproar began earlier this month when the tournament draw placed Jordan and the Zionist entity in the same group — alongside Switzerland and the Dominican Republic. Immediately, activists and citizens demanded that the Jordanian team withdraw from any direct match with the Zionist entity, citing long-standing public opposition to normalization. 'Playing this match would be a violation of boycott principles and an act of sports normalization with an entity committing horrific crimes,' a BDS post declared. 'This is not a regular match — it's a political moment.'
Zionist entity officials responded with disappointment. 'On behalf of the Basketball Association, I regret the decision of the Jordanian team,' Basketball Association Chairman Amos Frishman told media. 'I believe that sports is a bridge between peoples and cultures and not a political arena.'
The Zionist entity's U19 head coach Sharon Avrahami, speaking before the game, said: 'We see them at the hotel every day and we sit next to them. We don't do politics. We intend to play any opponent, anytime. If they don't show up, it's none of our business.'
Jordan's withdrawal gives the entity two wins in Group C, following a dominant 102-77 victory over Switzerland. Jordan now sits at the bottom of the group, having lost their opening match to the Dominican Republic (79-69). Their final group game is set for Tuesday against Switzerland. Despite the automatic qualification of all 16 teams into the knockout rounds, group rankings will determine next-round matchups. Jordan's bottom ranking means they're likely to face tournament favorites, the United States, in the next round. This year marks the entity's first appearance at the U19 Basketball World Cup. For Jordan, it's a return after a 30-year absence. — Agencies
