The California men’s basketball program has formally requested the organizers of the SoCal Challenge holiday tournament to prohibit a fan who allegedly directed a derogatory term, referring to senior forward Fardaws Aimaq as a “terrorist.”
Following the Golden Bears’ 75-72 loss to UTEP on Monday, Aimaq was captured in a video heading towards a fan in the stands. Cal coach Mark Madsen expressed his concern over the alleged incident, stating he was disturbed by the reported language directed at Aimaq. However, Madsen emphasized that he did not condone Aimaq confronting the fan and assured that the player would face disciplinary action for doing so.
RELATED: Things Got Heated Between Skip Bayless, Richard Sherman on the ‘Undisputed’ Set
“Fardaws Aimaq was allegedly subjected to abhorrent and offensive comments from a fan ? including being called a terrorist,” said Madsen. “I have asked the SoCal Challenge tournament director that a formal investigation be conducted and that this fan be barred from the premises.”
Aimaq, a 24-year-old whose parents are Afghan refugees, boasts an impressive average of 16 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game for California. His basketball journey includes stints at Texas Tech, Mercer, and a prior collaboration with Madsen at Utah Valley before the coach took on the Cal job.
The tournament organizers were made aware of the issue by Cal representatives on Wednesday morning, and they issued a statement saying, “Security has been briefed to strictly enforce the policy, and an internal investigation is ongoing related to Monday’s events.”
Despite the controversy, Aimaq delivered an outstanding performance with 23 points and 14 rebounds in Wednesday’s loss to Tulane during the tournament’s third-place game. The next challenge for Cal is a home game against San Diego State on Saturday.
