The Israeli U19 national basketball team has been informed that its scheduled World Cup game against Jordan, set for Sunday evening in Switzerland, will not take place due to Jordan’s refusal to take the court. The decision is expected to result in a technical victory for Israel.
According to Sport 5, FIBA officially notified the Israeli delegation that the Jordanian team would not appear for the second-round group stage game. Under FIBA regulations, Israel will be awarded a 20-0 technical win, while Jordan will receive zero points in the standings. In the case of a similar forfeit during a playoff series, the penalty would be even harsher – the forfeiting team would automatically lose the entire series.
Furthermore, if a national team withdraws from two matches in the same tournament, it is disqualified from the competition entirely. All games it has played or was scheduled to play would be counted as technical losses.
Beyond FIBA’s general regulations, there are also specific provisions relating to international tournaments—rules that are even more relevant in tonight’s potential case. In fact, if Jordan follows through with its decision not to take the court against Israel, FIBA would have the authority to impose sanctions on the Jordanian Basketball Federation.
The boycott follows significant pressure from a public campaign in Jordan, led by the local chapter of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement, which called on the national team to refuse to play against Israel. The campaign was promoted under the hashtag “Our Team Against Normalization,” framing participation in the game as an act of legitimizing “the Zionist entity” amid ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza. Jordanian activists, journalists, and legal experts flooded the social media pages of the Jordanian Basketball Federation with demands for a boycott.
In response to the development, Amos Frishman, Chairman of the Israel Basketball Association, expressed disappointment.
"On behalf of the Israel Basketball Association, I regret the decision by the Jordanian national team,” Frishman said. “I had hoped they would choose to play, to show the world that there is another way – especially in these times. I believe sport should serve as a bridge between nations and cultures, not as a political battleground. I hope that in the future, there will be no doubt about the importance of these games being played."
Israel head coach Sharon Avrahami addressed the issue of Jordan boycotting the clash between the two.
“We see them in the hotel every day and we sit next to them. We don't get involved in politics. What goes beyond that is not in our control. We want to play against any opponent and at any time."
Previous boycotts against Israeli athletes
This is not the first time Israeli athletes have faced boycotts at international competitions – including from Jordanian athletes. In 2019, Jordanian taekwondo fighter Juliana Al-Sadeq refused to compete against Israel’s Avishag Semberg at the World Taekwondo Grand Prix in Moscow. In judo, Jordanian judokas have quietly withdrawn or defaulted rather than face Israelis in international events. These incidents mirror similar occurrences from athletes representing Iran, Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia, and others.
Perhaps the most publicized instance came in 2021, when Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics to avoid a potential bout against Israeli judoka Tohar Butbul. Nourine was later suspended by the International Judo Federation. Iranian judokas have also repeatedly forfeited matches for the same reason, most notably world champion Saeid Mollaei, who eventually fled Iran and now competes for Azerbaijan after defying state orders and revealing the political coercion involved.
The International Olympic Committee and various global federations have repeatedly condemned such boycotts, emphasizing the principle of neutrality and the apolitical nature of sport. FIBA, for its part, is expected to launch disciplinary proceedings against Jordan, as political forfeitures are in direct violation of the federation's code of conduct.
With this forfeit, Israel is expected to move forward in the tournament with a clean record, while Jordan faces competitive and potentially financial consequences. The broader implications, however, extend beyond basketball, touching once again on the tense intersection of politics, diplomacy, and international sport.