Cal Sports Report

Cal Basketball: Fardaws Aimaq Confronts Fan Who Allegedly Called Him a `Terrorist'

Coach Mark Madsen asked SoCal Challenge officials to investigate and bar the fan from Wednesday's game.

Jeff Faraudo

Cal Basketball: Fardaws Aimaq Confronts Fan Who Allegedly Called Him a `Terrorist'
Cal Basketball: Fardaws Aimaq Confronts Fan Who Allegedly Called Him a `Terrorist' /

Cal basketball coach Mark Madsen released a statement Wednesday evening after a video surfaced on Twitter showing senior forward Fardaws Aimaq go into the grandstands after Monday night’s game at the SoCal Challenge to confront a fan who allegedly was directing “abhorrent and offensive comments” at him throughout the Bears’ game.

Cal charges that the man called Aimaq a “terrorist,” among other things. Madsen asked tournament officials to investigate the matter and to ban the fan who was directing the comments to Aimaq.

The video shows Aimaq walk up to the fan, stand over him for a few seconds and saying something to him while pointing a finger near his face.

“You want to talk some s—t? I’ll slap the f—k out of you, bitch,” Aimaq can be heard saying in the video, posted by someone identifying himself as @JustASportGuy and apparently a Texas Tech alum.

Aimaq played at Texas Tech last season, but previously played for Madsen at Utah Valley. In the video at the top of the story, recorded just prior to the start of the season, Aimaq talks about his relationship with Madsen.

It does not appear that Aimaq had any physical contact with the man, but Madsen said he had a talk with Aimaq about the incident and consequences will be “managed internally.”

Aimaq, who has averaged 16.0 points and 8.8 rebounds through the first five games, grew up in Canada but his parents are from Afghanistan. They fled the country during the war with the Soviet Union in the 1980s and moved from Germany to Toronto and finally Vancouver, British Columbia.

Here is Madsen’s statement:

“Throughout and after Monday’s game, Fardaws Aimaq was allegedly subjected to abhorrent and offensive comments from a fan – including being called a terrorist. I have asked the SoCal Challenge tournament director that a formal investigation be conducted and that this fan be barred from the premises.

Fardaws and I had an important conversation today about how he needs to maintain his composure regardless of what takes place in a game or what is said to him directly. I am disturbed that Fardaws was allegedly on the receiving end of such language, and I'm disappointed that he confronted this fan in the stands. Fardaws understands my expectations for how he as a student-athlete conducts himself. The consequences related to this situation will be managed internally.”

Cal player Jalen Cone responded to the indent, and Aimaq responded to that tweet:

The Bears lost 75-72 to UTEP on a buzzer-beater shot in the tournament at San Juan Capistrano, and play Wednesday night shortly after 9:30 p.m. against Tulane. Aimaq was listed in the starting lineup for Cal.

Cover photo of Cal senior Fardaws Aimaq

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo

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Jeff Faraudo
JEFF FARAUDO

Jeff Faraudo was a sports writer for Bay Area daily newspapers since he was 17 years old, and was the Oakland Tribune's Cal beat writer for 24 years. He covered eight Final Fours, four NBA Finals and four Summer Olympics. 

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