The Qatar women’s basketball team forfeited a match against Mongolia today and is considering withdrawing from the Asian Games competition after players were refused permission to wear a hijab. Confusion over the implementation of recently relaxed regulations outlined by the sport’s international governing body, aimed at making the game more inclusive, could be the cause of the problem in Incheon.
“The Qatari players refused to take off the hijab,” Asian Games Organising Committee spokeswoman Anna Jihyun You told The Associated Press. Ten minutes after the scheduled start. At 4:25 pm (local time), the match was declared forfeited and awarded to Mongolia.”
You said match officials did not receive any instructions to allow head coverings, and were only following the rules which restrict the use of headgear, hair accessories, and jewelry. “The organising committee is not involved in the rules, and the match officials did not have any directions from world body FIBA regarding the same,” You said.
The Qatari contingent was surprised by the decision, with its chef-de-mission Khalil al-Jabir saying the team ‘was not likely to play’ basketball in these Asian Games if the players are not allowed to wear the hijab.
“We were expecting our players to play with the hijab, that’s why we came here. Nobody told us that it will not be allowed and we are still waiting for clarifications,” he said. Meanwhile, competitors have been allowed to wear hijabs in other sports, including badminton, shooting and track and field.