The International Basketball Federation must end its discrimination against Sikh players and allow them to play wearing a turban, a bipartisan group of 39 influential American lawmakers has demanded.
Led by Congressmen Joe Crowley, Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, and Ami Bera, the only Indian-American lawmaker, 39 Members of the Congress, in a letter to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), on Thursday reiterated their support for a change in policy that requires Sikhs and other players to remove their articles of faith, such as turbans, in international competition.
“We have seen time and again that sports have the power to unite - basketball included. “The sport has gained in international stature in recent decades and is increasingly popular in countries where the use of a turban is a common practice.
“We urge you to amend your policies to ensure that people all around the world have an equal opportunity to play the game,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter.
“Sikhs participate in a wide variety of sports around the globe, and there has not been a single instance of someone being harmed or injured by a turban. Even at the amateur and professional levels, Sikhs have played sports without a problem,” the letter said.