Irish wheelchair basketball team to face Israel in qualifier

The Irish women’s wheelchair basketball team is set to face Israel in a qualifier for the Women’s B division European Championship. The match is scheduled for Wednesday, October 14.

The team plans to follow the example of the men’s football team by bowing their heads during the Israeli national anthem and wearing black armbands to honor those killed in Gaza.

Calls to boycott the match have been made, with groups like Irish Sport for Palestine and Irish Healthcare, Workers for Palestine criticizing the decision to proceed.

Sinn Féin senator Chris Andrews raised the issue in the Seanad, noting the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) is a national charity receiving significant funding. He argued that disability sport should be held to the same standards as other sports.

The IWA stated that its board is responsible for the decision to play, and that player consultation was an important factor. The association emphasized that disability sport should be subject to the same accountability and scrutiny as any other sport.

Andrews also criticized the IWA’s fundraising pages for not initially listing the match against Israel. The IWA explained that these pages are meant for fundraising and not for publicizing individual matches.