#LetSikhsPlay
How Baru Sahib Took on a Global Sports Body — and Won
The Kalgidhar Society’s Campaign to Lift the FIBA Turban Ban (2014–2017)
The Incident That Sparked a Movement
On 12 July 2014, the world watched as two Indian Sikh basketball players — Amritpal Singh and Amjyot Singh — were ordered by FIBA officials to remove their turbans minutes before their match against Japan at the FIBA Asia Cup in Wuhan, China. The order came under FIBA Rule 4.4.2, which prohibited the use of headgear during competition.
For Sikhs worldwide, the turban is not merely a piece of cloth — it is a sacred article of faith, a crown of spiritual identity, worn as a covenant with God. What happened in Wuhan was not a technical infraction. It was a direct assault on religious dignity, broadcast on an international stage.
Baru Sahib Responds: The #LetSikhsPlay Campaign
The Kalgidhar Society, headquartered at Baru Sahib in the Sirmour hills of Himachal Pradesh, did not wait for someone else to act. On 26 July 2014, the Society launched the #LetSikhsPlay petition on Change.org, calling on FIBA to immediately withdraw Rule 4.4.2 as it applied to religious headgear.
The petition was led by RPS Kohli alongside the Kalgidhar Society, framing the issue unambiguously: this was racial and religious discrimination masquerading as sporting regulation.
Change.org petition supporters
Confirmed victory — petition closed
Students who participated in protest
Across 129 Akal Academies
Akal Academy schools organised protest
Turban-clad matches in the Himalayas
U.S. Congress members who wrote to FIBA
Bipartisan letter demanding policy reversal
Years from petition to permanent ban lift
FIBA relaxed rule Sep 2014; lifted permanently 2017
How Baru Sahib Mobilised India
The campaign combined digital advocacy with ground-level action on an unprecedented scale:
- 129 Akal Academies organised turban-clad protest basketball matches simultaneously
- Over 60,000 students across India and Punjab took to the court in solidarity
- Baba Iqbal Singh Ji, President of The Kalgidhar Society, released a video appeal titled ‘Turban is India’s Pride’
- Devender Pal Singh (Indian Idol 6 fame) lent his voice to the cause in a video appeal
- A peaceful protest was organised ‘in the lap of the Himalayas’ at Baru Sahib
Celebrity & Political Support
The campaign quickly transcended the Sikh community and became a national conversation about religious rights in sport:
- Milkha Singh — India’s iconic flying Sikh sprinter — publicly condemned the FIBA ban
- Bishan Singh Bedi — cricket legend — called on sportspeople to ‘Bowl Out Religious Discrimination from Sports’
- Daler Mehndi — internationally renowned Punjabi music icon — backed the campaign
- Yo Yo Honey Singh — Bollywood’s biggest rap star — personally appealed to FIBA to repeal the ban
- 21 members of the United States Congress sent a formal letter to FIBA demanding an end to the discriminatory policy
Campaign Timeline
Amritpal Singh & Amjyot Singh ordered to remove turbans at FIBA Asia Cup, Wuhan
The Kalgidhar Society & RPS Kohli launch #LetSikhsPlay petition on Change.org
60,000+ students across 129 Akal Academies participate in mass turban-clad protest matches; celebrity and political endorsements flood in
FIBA relaxes Rule 4.4.2 — religious headgear permitted on a trial basis
FIBA permanently lifts the headgear ban — Sikh, Muslim and Jewish players can wear religious headgear in all competitions forever. #LetSikhsPlay CONFIRMED VICTORY.
The Victory
In September 2014, FIBA bowed to the global protest and relaxed Rule 4.4.2, permitting religious headgear on a trial basis. Three years later, at FIBA’s World Congress in May 2017, the ban was lifted permanently — not just for Sikhs, but for all religious minorities worldwide.
NBC News, CNN, and TIME magazine all covered the final ruling. The campaign that began in the Himalayan foothills of Baru Sahib had rewritten the rules of international basketball.
“FIBA bows to Global Protest against Ban on Turban — campaign started by Baru Sahib.”
Media & Press Coverage
