The FIBA Regional Office-Asia has postponed its West Asia Super League (WASL) Season 2 opener due to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
In a statement Tuesday, the governing body said that it is moving the pan-regional competition’s tip-off date from October 16 to November 13.
“In view of the current severe security situation in the Middle East, the FIBA Regional Office Asia has announced the postponement of the FIBA West Asia Super League (FIBA WASL) 2023/2024 season, for a period of one month,” it said.
“FIBA Regional Office Asia will continue to monitor the situation as it remains committed to prioritizing safety and well-being of all participants and stakeholders,” the short statement concluded.
The new FIBA WASL tilt was set to launch Monday, with the league eager to sustain the success of its inaugural season that saw Bahraini side Manama emerge as the first-ever champions after ruling the Final 8 last June.
But the strife altered those plans, particularly when Israel declared war on the Gaza Strip after an attack by armed Palestinian group Hamas Saturday.
A ball club from Palestine, Orthodox Beit Sahour, is among the eight participants in the FIBA WASL-West Asia League sub-zone.
Another FIBA league affected is the Basketball Champions League (BCL). It postponed games involving two teams from Israel, namely Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem and Hapoel Holon, in next week’s opening festivities.
BCL said in its statement issued on Tuesday as well that the decision to play those two games at a later date was taken in consultation with the concerned clubs, FIBA Europe and the Israeli Basketball Federation.
