Basketball Fed Softens Rules on Religious Headgear

(ATR) Basketball players can wear certain headgear in 3x3 and national-level competitions.

A statement released on Tuesday from FIBA, basketball’s governing body, said it would "relax" its current ban on headgear. The rule caused outrage as both Muslim women and Sikh men said the rule violated their religious freedom.

Under the new rule, national federations can apply to FIBA for an exemption to the rule for national-level competitions. Players in 3x3 tournaments were given the approval for "wearing headgear without restrictions, unless the latter presents a direct threat to their safety or that of other players on the court."

Ibrahim Hooper, the spokesperson for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of the groups that had lobbied FIBA for a change in the rules, said the change is "long overdue, but better late than never."

"This will allow not only American Muslim women basketball players but Muslim women all over the world to play the sport they love," he said to Around the Rings.

FIBA said a "detailed request" must be made before receiving approval for the allowance.

The rule is in a two-year "test period" FIBA said.

"FIBA, through its competent bodies, will monitor these requests and their implementation from both the technical and sport development perspectives (for example in terms of manufacturing specificities, safety of athletes, look on the field of play and positive development of participation numbers in basketball within the demanding countries)," the federation explained.

A decision on its full-time implementation will come after the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

High-Profile Names on Central Board

An NBA All-Star, the NBA`s COO and a long-serving IOC member are on FIBA`s Central Board.

Six new members of the 26-member board were elected Sep. 16 at a meeting in Meis, Spain under new president Horacio Muratore.

The most high profile members are Richard Carrion, IOC member and a businessman from Puerto Rico; Vlade Divac, who played more than 16 years in the NBA and will serve as the players representative and Mark Tatum, deputy NBA commissioner and COO who serves as the league representative.

Yulia Anikeeva, president of the Russian Basketball Federation; Manuel Pangilinan, president of the Philippines Basketball Federation and Erick Thohir, president of the Southeast Asian Basketball Association, round out the additions to the board.

Written by Ed Hula III

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