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Sidra Suleiman, Noura Bishara, and the national team coach were excluded following controversy over the removal of the Syrian flag.
Exclusion of Sidra Suleiman and Nora Bashara and the Team Coach Following Controversy Over Removing the Syrian Flag
The Syrian Basketball Federation issued a decision on Saturday to exclude players Sidra Suleiman and Nora Bashara, as well as coach Ayman Suleiman, from the national team due to the issue related to the removal of the flag of the Syrian Arab Republic from the players' photos. They have also been banned from participating in any sports activities until further notice.
This decision comes in the wake of the recent controversy on social media regarding fake photos of the players, in which they appeared in sports uniforms without the Syrian flag. The Syrian Arab Basketball Federation confirmed in a previous statement that the circulated photos are not accurate, after conducting a thorough investigation and communicating with the players.
The official website of the federation clarified that the original photos featuring the Syrian flag were attached to their statement, noting that "the attempt to manipulate these images aims to undermine the morale of the national team before its travel to Jordan to represent great Syria."
The federation further stated in the announcement that the accounts that published these photos are managed from outside Syria, according to the information they have gathered. The responsible entity affirmed its confidence and pride in the national team players, who have a deep love for Syria and strive to represent it in the best possible way.
It is noteworthy that the Syrian Basketball Federation recently announced the list of participants for the upcoming West Asia Championship, excluding players Sidra Kurdi and Yara Suleiman due to knee injuries, along with player Sonia Jamisikian who apologized for her inability to continue for personal reasons.
The temporary committee of the federation also appointed Ayman Suleiman as the head coach of the women's senior team, with assistance from Elizabeth Simon and Sherine Sheikh Issa, while Jessica Dakramanji took on the administrative tasks for the team, and Najwa Adi was responsible for physiotherapy.
The West Asia Women's Championship is set to commence on April 14 of this year, serving as a qualifying stage for the Asian finals, which makes it an important test for the Syrian team in its pursuit of positive results and competing for one of the qualifying spots. Syrian fans hope that the team will be fully prepared during the training period to deliver an outstanding performance and achieve success in the continental tournament.
