Watch: Ireland basketball team shuns pre-match courtesies with Israeli opponents

Ireland women’s basketball team refused to shake hands with Israel before their EuroBasket 2025 qualifier.

The Irish players also lined up for their anthem beside the team’s bench rather than the centre of the court before the game, which Israel won 87-57.

Basketball Ireland said in a statement before the start of the match that the team would not take part in “traditional pre-match arrangements”.

The match, which was moved to Riga, Latvia, because of the ongoing war in Gaza, went ahead despite Basketball Ireland facing pressure to boycott the fixture.