#LetSikhsPlay is a response to Indian players Amrit Pal Singh and Amjyot Singh being denied the right to wear their turbans during Asia Cup games.
Two Sikh Indian basketball players were prohibited from wearing turbans on court because they "may cause injury."
FIBA / Via youtube.com
Last Saturday night in Wuhan, China, moments before the beginning of the Asia Cup's India vs. Japan game, referees told Indian players Amrit Pal Singh and Amjyot Singh that they were violating Article 4.4.2 of FIBA's official rules, which states that "Players shall not wear equipment (objects) that may cause injury to other players."
Amrit Pal and Amjyot are both followers of Sikhism. The dangerous, injurious "objects" in question here are their turbans.
Rather than being deterred from playing for their team. Instead, the two stepped away from the court to unwrap their turbans and fasten their hair using elastic bands, then joined the game two minutes into play.
These were far from ideal conditions for either of them.
"We have always played in turbans," Amrit Pal told India's foremost basketball blogger, Karan Madhok of Hoopistani. "Playing in the Japan game without it felt very awkward. I wear a turban in practice, too, and it was strange to not have it on during the game."
"It felt very bad that they did this right before the game," Amjyot told Madhok. "At least, eventually, they let us fix it with a band, but even that felt very awkward... I find it to be much more comfortable playing with turban, of course – that is part of my habit."
FIBA / Via youtube.com
The night before the game, the Indian head coach, Scott Flemming, was led to believe by FIBA officials that the two would be allowed to play with their turbans fastened.
"I was then told right before the game there was a misunderstanding on what we agreed to," Flemming said. "I would never make our players do anything they were uncomfortable with according to their religious practices. It was up to them."
This incident is reminiscent of FIBA's 2013 under-18 3-on-3 tournament during which members of the Maldives team were similarly disallowed from playing while donning hijabs (Muslim head scarves). In that case, the team forfeited.
The Sikh turban or dastar is worn as an expression of faith, both by men and women. It is an outward manifestation of Sikhism's central values of service and integrity. It is also a pragmatic way for Sikhs to care for their long hair, uncut as per Sikh tradition.
Dastars and hijabs are made of cloth, and, as is usually the case with pieces of cloth wrapped tightly around one's head, they bear nearly no potential for injuring third parties.