FIBA okays headgear in professional basketball

Photo: Saudi Arabia's Jeddah United warm up before their friendly basketball game against Jordan's Al Reyadeh in Amman April 21, 2009. REUTERS/Ali Jarekji

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has overturned its ban on headgear in the professional game, opening the door for hijabs to be worn on the court from October this year. 

The governing body decided to overturn the ban based on a report of a two-year testing period, since September 2014, which allowed exceptions at national level. 

"The new rule comes as a result of the fact that traditional dress codes in some countries - which called for the head and/or entire body being covered - were incompatible with FIBA's previous headgear rule," the federation said in a statement. 

The new rule specifies that headgear must be the same as the dominant colour of the team's jerseys, must not cover any part of the face entirely or partially and is not dangerous to the player wearing it and/or to other players. It must also not have openings or closing elements around the face and/or neck or parts extruding from its surface.

Professional basketball is late to the game. In other contact sports, USA Boxing recently allowed exemptions from its clothing rule, which requires athletes wear shorts and sleeveless jerseys during competitions, on religious grounds, and football governing body FIFA lifted its ban on headgear in 2014, also after a two-year trial. 

For non-contact sports such as athletics, hijab-wearing runners have been highly visible in professional competitions for many years, including at Olympic Games. 

© SalaamGateway.com 2017 All Rights Reserved