Jordanian under-19 basketball team boycotts match against Israel

After weeks of speculation, Jordan has finally decided to boycott its scheduled match against the Israeli team for the group stage of the U19 Basketball World Cup, currently taking place in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The announcement, communicated a few hours before the game by the Jordanian delegation to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), led to the cancellation of the match, which was supposed to be played on Sunday afternoon as part of the second day of the under-19 Basketball World Cup that started on Saturday.

According to the regulations, the Israeli team was awarded a victory (20-0) by default. “FIBA has been informed by the Jordanian Basketball Federation of its decision not to participate in the Israel-Jordan match [...]. This match will not take place and will be won by forfeit in favor of Israel,” said the organization in a brief statement.

Despite the forfeit, Jordan has not been excluded from the tournament and will face Switzerland on Tuesday for the third and final match of the group stage. Defeated in its first match against the Dominican Republic (69-79), it currently holds third place in the group, awaiting the result of the match between Switzerland and the Dominican Republic.

On Saturday, during the Israel-Switzerland match, which the Israeli team won 102-77, a protester stormed the court waving a Palestinian flag.

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Since the draw of the competition on Jan. 31, 2025, many questions had been raised about Jordan's participation in this match, especially in a context still marked by the Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip.

According to the al-Mayadeen, the decision to boycott this encounter comes under increasing pressure from public opinion and political figures in Jordan, opposed to what is widely perceived in the country as an act of “sports normalization” with Israel.

“On behalf of the Basketball Federation, I regret the decision of the Jordanian team,” said Amos Frishman, president of the Israeli Basketball Federation, quoted by The Times of Israel. “I had hoped that the Jordanians would play to show everyone that things can be different, especially during this period. I believe that sport is a bridge between peoples and cultures and not a political arena. I hope that in the future, there will be no more doubt about organizing these matches,” he added.

Also according to al-Mayadeen, Jordanian media, activists, and public figures had called on the kingdom’s team to withdraw. Hashtags such as “Our team against normalization” widely circulated on social media. Influential Jordanian lawyer Hala Ahed wrote on her X account: “What sportsmanship is there in facing a team representing a state committing genocide in Gaza?”

While Israel denies the accusation of genocide regarding its military operations in Gaza, many voices consider this term appropriate. A United Nations report published in March concluded that Israel had committed “genocidal acts” against Palestinians, notably by systematically destroying healthcare infrastructure intended for women and using sexual violence as a war strategy.