A women’s basketball match in Gaillac (Tarn) was canceled on October 6, 2024 due to the presence of a veiled player. The referees relied on regulations from the French Basketball Federation (FFBB). However, voices are being raised to demand a review of this rule, deemed discriminatory and contrary to efforts for inclusion in sport.
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The incident occurred on Sunday October 6, 2024 during a women’s basketball match in Gaillac (Tarn). The meeting between the Association Sportive du Basket Gaillacois (ASBG) and Caussade was simply canceled. At issue: the presence of a veiled player in the Gaillac team according to the daily La Dépêche du Midi.
The referees relied on a rule adopted in December 2022 to refuse the athlete’s participation in this game. Article 9.3 of the general sporting regulations of the French Basketball Federation (FFBB) prohibits “the wearing of any equipment with religious or political connotations” during official competitions.
In support of their teammate, the other ASBG players decided not to start the match, leading to the withdrawal of their team (0-20). Jean-Jacques Dessaint, president of the Occitanie Basketball League, declared: “The Federation informed us of this regulation to comply with the law on secularism” reports the local daily.
This controversy is not new. Since its application, this ban has provoked strong reactions in the world of basketball. The “Basket for All” collective launched a petition in October 2023 to repeal this regulation, collecting more than 6,000 signatures.
As Amnesty International points out, in April 2024, the position of the FFBB on the matter is also in contradiction with that of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), which has authorized the wearing of the veil in its competitions since 2017.
Diaba Konaté, former member of the France Jeunes team, expressed to the association her dismay at this situation in France: “I love basketball, my family and my faith. It would break my heart to have to give up one of these three things, and yet this is what the current rules of the French Basketball Federation force me to do..”
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Voices are being raised to demand a review of this rule. Monica Costa Riba, head of the women’s rights campaign in Europe for Amnesty International, says: “Rules that penalize women and girls who wish to wear headscarves violate their fundamental rights and undermine efforts to make women’s sport more inclusive of diversity.“
Terri Jackson, executive director of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) in the United States, highlights the importance of inclusion in sport: “Basketball has long been a powerful vehicle for inclusion and equality. All athletes should be able to play the sport they love while honoring their faith, and we will continue to fight until that is possible.”
Prohibited in basketball, wearing the veil is authorized in France in other sporting disciplines, collective or individual, such as handball, rugby or tennis.
