British Wheelchair Basketball has been forced into a humiliating apology after a major breach of international sporting protocol. The governing body came under fierce criticism for its failure to play the Israeli national anthem ahead of a crucial World Cup qualifying match in Cardiff.
The significant oversight occurred before the tip-off of the game between Israel and the Netherlands, held at the Sport Wales National Centre. Standard pre-match ceremonies for international fixtures were notably absent, with 'Hatikvah' – the national anthem of Israel – conspicuously missing from the proceedings.
Federation Condemns "Unacceptable" Breach
The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) swiftly moved to condemn the incident, labelling the omission a clear violation of its established regulations. The global governing body confirmed it had not granted any approval for the anthem's removal and announced the launch of an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the decision.
In a statement, the IWBF expressed its disappointment, stressing that all member nations have a duty to uphold the federation's rules and the spirit of the game without exception.
BWB Issues Full Apology
In response to the mounting backlash, British Wheelchair Basketball issued a full and unreserved apology. The organisation acknowledged its serious error and confirmed the anthem's omission was a direct result of its own internal failure, not an instruction from any external body.
"We accept we made a serious error in not playing the Israeli national anthem," a spokesperson stated. "We apologise unreservedly for this omission and the offence it has caused. This was our error and not the result of any instruction from the IWBF or any other organisation."
Political Reaction and Fallout
The incident drew sharp criticism from political figures. Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies MS described the event as a "completely unacceptable incident" and demanded transparency, calling for the governing body to "explain how this happened."
The controversy has cast a shadow over the qualifying event and raised serious questions about the operational protocols of the national governing body. The IWBF's ongoing investigation is expected to determine if further disciplinary action will be taken.
