Basketball players will be allowed to wear religious head coverings, such as hijabs or turbans, on a trial basis in some competitions. The central board of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) met over the weekend at the men’s World Cup and voted to allow a two-year testing phase that would let players wear head coverings.
Previous FIBA rules allowed a player to wear only a 5 cm headband. That drew objections that the group was discriminating against Muslim and Sikh players.
“We welcome this policy change by the FIBA because it allows Muslims, Sikhs and others who wear religious head coverings to take part in the sport...,” said the Council on American-Islamic Relations National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.
