GU-Q hosts panel on growth, challenges of women’s basketball in Middle East

DOHA: In a thought provoking panel discussion hosted by Georgetown University in Qatar (GU Q), international sports scholars and experts shed light on...

DOHA: In a thought-provoking panel discussion hosted by Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q), international sports scholars and experts shed light on the transformative journey of women’s basketball worldwide, with a particular focus on the Middle East’s unique challenges and opportunities in the sport.

The event featured a discussion with Dr. Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff, a visiting Clinical Assistant Professor at NYU’s Tisch Institute for Global Sport, and Assile Toufaily, a PhD candidate studying the sociocultural dynamics of women’s football in Lebanon and France, moderated by Dr. Danyel Reiche, visiting research fellow, GU-Q. Together, the speakers brought fresh perspectives on the cultural, diplomatic, and social impact of women’s basketball.

Emerging from a Center for International and Regional Studies research project titled America’s Game in the Middle East: The 2027 Qatar Basketball World Cup, led by Dr. Reiche, the panelists contributed critical insights on the global importance of Women’s basketball.

Krasnoff opened the discussion by reflecting on the recent Paris summer games, where women’s basketball captivated record-breaking audiences, achieving a 170% increase in viewership compared to the previous year. She also highlighted basketball’s significance outside of the West, particularly in Senegal, where the women’s national team has historically been a dominant force. “For Senegalese basketball executive Amadou Gallo Fall, the women’s national team stands as a profound symbol of national pride and identity,” she shared.

Toufaily added insights rooted in the Middle Eastern context, detailing how cultural and religious factors have historically limited women’s participation in sports.