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FIBA launches investigation after anti-Albanian calls at the basketball match in Kumanovo

2025-08-04 23:33:06Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
FIBA launches investigation after anti-Albanian calls at the basketball match in Kumanovo

The International Basketball Federation said it has launched an investigation into anti-Albanian cries that erupted during a basketball match between North Macedonia and Romania over the weekend.

"At this stage, we are gathering the relevant reports and statements, working in close coordination with the national federations involved, as well as with local authorities and law enforcement," FIBA told REL.

According to Albanian politicians in North Macedonia, in the crowd of fans at the match of the second pre-qualification phase for the World Cup to be held in Qatar in 2027, chants such as "The good Albanian is the dead Albanian", "The gas chamber for Albanians" and "Clean Macedonia" were heard.

FIBA said that it unreservedly and firmly condemns hate speech and any form of discrimination or racist language.

"We actively promote the creation of an inclusive and respectful environment for all players, teams and fans, as a top priority in sport," she said.

Senior officials of the Government of North Macedonia – where Albanians make up almost a quarter of the population of 1.8 million people – were in the hall during the match.

The incident has also caused harsh reactions in Kosovo and Albania.

North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, one of the officials who attended the match, condemned the "nationalist and xenophobic calls" in a statement on August 4, two days after the match.

He said that, although he was present at the arena, he "did not notice" the fans' calls, claiming they were made by "a small group of people".

"I want to take this opportunity to join the condemnation of nationalism and xenophobia – first of all for what happened during the basketball match between [North Macedonia] and Romania, and then to send a message to all groups of fans: to support in a sporting way, to support their team and the national representative of Macedonia," said Mickoski.

The Albanian opposition party in North Macedonia, the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), said that at the event "anti-Albanian chants, racist chants and pure ethnic hate speech against Albanians were heard".

The Minister of Sports of North Macedonia, Borko Ristovski, said that this Ministry cannot react concretely to this event, "because it does not come from any sports entity – it comes from fans in the stands – and we have no competence to react when it comes to fans".

"However, let me take this opportunity to make an appeal: in Macedonia there is no need for such cheers, neither from one side nor from the other, from anyone, from whichever side comes."

The Criminal Code of North Macedonia provides for penalties for racist shouting and hate speech in several articles, while the most important is Article 319, which provides that anyone who publicly incites or spreads hatred, division or intolerance on racial, religious, ethnic or national grounds is sentenced to imprisonment from one to five years.

On Monday, Kosovo's president, Vjosa Osmani, said that the anti-Albanian chants heard in Kumanovo are unacceptable and "violate the spirit of coexistence and mutual respect".

"Albanians are an indigenous people in their lands and deserve to be treated with dignity and equality, just like any other community," Osmani said.

Kosovo's Olympic Committee condemned the anti-Albanian shouts during the match in Kumanovo in a Facebook reaction on Monday, saying that "such actions are unacceptable and contradict the fundamental values of the Olympic movement, which promote respect, equality and solidarity between peoples".

"The IOC calls on the responsible institutions to take concrete measures against hate speech and the perpetrators of these reprehensible behaviors, which have no place in sports events," the reaction states.

The President of the Assembly, Elisa Spiropali, described the insulting calls against Albanians as unacceptable.

"Hate speech that incites violence, ethnic conflict and racism has no place in any public space, much less in sports, which at its core carries the spirit of unity, cooperation, fair play and respect for the other," she said./REL


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