A representative of Jordan’s national basketball team informed the international federation FIBA that the Jordanian team would not be competing against Israel tonight in the 2025 U19 Basketball World Cup.
The move, which comes after weeks of speculation, means Israel will automatically gain a 20-0 technical victory over Jordan, giving them their second win in the championship after two rounds.
The Jewish state beat the tournament’s hosts, Switzerland, 102-77 last night in its first-ever U19 World Cup game, while Jordan lost to the Dominican Republic.
Basketball Association Chairman Amos Frishman said he “regretted” Jordan’s decision, according to Ynet.
“I hoped that the Jordanians would still come to play to show everyone that things can be different, especially during this time. I believe that sport is a bridge between peoples and cultures, not a political arena. I hope that in the future there will be no doubt about holding such games,” he said.
Eighteen-year-old Omer Mayer, who recently left Maccabi Tel Aviv and will play for Purdue University next season, is leading Israel’s team in the absence of NBA draftee Ben Saraf.
Israel’s tournament opener against Switzerland was briefly interrupted when a pro-Palestine protester stormed the court waving a Palestinian flag, just nine seconds into the game. The incident delayed play but the game later resumed.
Due to the recent conflict with Iran, Israel’s team has found little time to play warm-up games in the run-up to the World Cup.
Meanwhile, Jordan has been under consistent internal pressure to boycott its game with the “Zionist entity”, due to Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
