BARCELONA: Barcelona rejected a request from an Israeli basketball team to train at their facilities next week, a club source confirmed to AFP on Wednesday.
The Catalan club said it was for logistical and public order reasons that they would not allow Hapoel Jerusalem to train on their Palau Blaugrana court before a match against Baxi Manresa on October 15 in the EuroCup competition.
“We don’t want to have any problems,” explained the club source, after an increase in protests against Israel because of the Gaza war.
The source said on that day preparations would also begin for a Barca handball match in the Champions League, and that Manresa were obliged to allow their opponents use of their court.
Valencia Basket are due to face Hapoel Tel Aviv, another Israeli team, in the EuroLeague competition on the same day.
The pro-Palestinian BDS movement, calling for boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel, has called for that match to be canceled.
Spain’s government has labelled Israel’s actions a “genocide” and prime minister Pedro Sanchez in September called for Israeli teams to be excluded from international sport.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 67,183 people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures the United Nations considers credible.
They launched their Gaza offensive in October 2023 in retaliation for an unprecedented cross-border attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.
Barcelona reject Israeli basketball team training facility request
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Barcelona reject Israeli basketball team training facility request
- “We don’t want to have any problems,” explained the club source, after an increase in protests against Israel because of the Gaza war
- Spain’s government has labelled Israel’s actions a “genocide“
Norris grabs the sprint pole at the Brazilian GP from title rivals
- “It was difficult and we did a good job,” Norris said on Friday.
- Norris is coming off a win in Mexico City and leads the driver standings by one point over Piastri. Verstappen was 36 points back
SAO PAULO: Lando Norris set up a chance to pad his one-point lead in Formula 1 by securing pole position for the sprint race at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Saturday.
Of his title rivals, McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri will start third and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will be sixth.
“It was difficult and we did a good job,” Norris said on Friday.
Norris is coming off a win in Mexico City and leads the driver standings by one point over Piastri. Verstappen was 36 points back.
For the sprint pole, Norris beat Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli by only 0.097 seconds and Piastri was just 0.185s behind.
“We did the job we needed to do which was to be fastest today,” Norris said.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella was rapt with the results. Norris and Piastri were also 1-2 in the first practice on Friday.
“The mood is very positive,” Stella said. “We have what is needed. We have a fast car, two fast drivers, a team that is prepared and determined and we definitely will keep the fight going until the last corner in Abu Dhabi.”
Piastri has struggled lately; he’s winless in five races and has not reached the podium since Monza in Italy two months ago when he finished third.
Verstappen, who aims to become the fourth driver to win five world titles, knows how to win in Brazil after victories in 2019, 2023 and 2024, when he fought from 17th at the start.
“We are very excited by the idea that we could be the one that are attempting to kind of stop Verstappen’s dominance,” Stella said.
The Dutchman has shown great poise at Interlagos, a track featuring climbs and drops with changes of gradient. The middle sector has slow corners where aerodynamic downforce can make the difference.
The track is also renowned for its dramatic changes in weather. Rain is expected toward the end of Saturday and throughout Sunday. A year ago, the qualifying was canceled and moved to Sunday due to torrential downpours.
“It was a good day for us, but we will see tomorrow,” Piastri said with a smile. “it is going to be raining so everybody bring their rain jacket.”
