Fiba reviewing its ban on players’ headgear

GENEVA—Facing claims that Muslim and Sikh players are being discriminated against, basketball’s governing body will review its ban which prevents players wearing headgear for religious reasons.

Fiba said Friday that its policy-making board will review the issue at an Aug. 27 meeting in Sevilla, Spain, ahead of the World Cup.

“Fiba’s Central Board, which is ultimately responsible for changes to the Official Basketball Rules, will review these requests and decide how to proceed in the best interest of the sport,” the 214-nation governing body said in a statement.

The United States Olympic Committee and India’s government had this week called for an end to the ban.

“We take seriously American athletes’ right to compete and believe that reasonable steps can be taken to accommodate athletes of all religious beliefs,” said the USOC,  urged to intervene by the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

India’s sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal responded after two Sikhs on the national team had to remove their turbans before Fiba-sanctioned Asia Cup matches in China this month.

The minister said he was “shocked and outraged,” and asked the IOC to send guidelines to Olympic sports federations.

Current Fiba rules prevent players wearing “headgear, hair accessories and jewelry,” allowing only a 5-centimeter headband to control hair and sweat.

“This measure was established more than 10 years ago for two main reasons: safety on the basketball court and uniformity of equipment within a team,” Fiba said in a statement.