The Irish women’s wheelchair basketball team will bow their heads and wear black armbands during the national anthem ahead of their match against Israel in the qualifiers for the Women’s B division European Championship, mirroring similar action to that taken by Republic of Ireland football players.
Irish Wheelchair Association Defends Participation
Behind the scenes, the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) maintains that the choice to compete was reached only after extensive dialogue with the athletes. Player consultation has been and remains an important and integral part of consideration for this decision,
the organization stated, adding that this decision was not taken lightly. We agree that disability sport should be held to the same standards of accountability and scrutiny as any other sport.
Scrutiny Over Online Fundraising Campaigns
While acknowledging that an early fundraising page failed to explicitly name the Israeli opponent, the IWA noted that public feedback prompted updates by the 18 August. Officials stressed that the primary objective of these digital spaces remains financial support for travel expenses rather than the advertisement of individual fixtures.
Tournament Schedule and Squad Composition
The delegation heading to the tournament—which begins tomorrow in Nottwil, Switzerland—comprises eight female amateur wheelchair basketball players, two minors, and five volunteers to provide support in coaching, management and safeguarding capacities. As the tournament gets underway, the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation has issued no formal sanctions against the Irish squad over their planned silent protest.
The Path Through Nottwil
Athletically, the squad faces a grueling group stage schedule in Switzerland. Their team’s first match is on Tuesday against the Women of Europe. Following the contentious encounter with Israel, the team’s final match will be against Turkey on Thursday, a fixture that will ultimately decide whether the team progresses to the semi-final.