Controversy as under-11s' basketball match ends on 167-5 win

A THRASHING suffered by 10-year-old children at a league basketball match that saw them beaten 5-167 has reopened the debate as to whether matches should be stopped at junior level to avoid adding insult to injury for young players.

Real Madrid Basket beat L'Alcora Bàsquet, from L'Alcora, Castellón province with a margin of 162 in the group phase of the Alevín category, which in basketball is the under-10s and under-11s and in football is the under-11s and under-12s.

To avoid humiliating small children, all pre-senior categories of team sports such as football and basketball have a cap of a 50-point or 50-goal difference – that means if the scores are more than 50 goals or baskets in front for one team, the match is stopped.

In this case, the rule was not applied, and many critics are now saying even 50 points is to wide a margin since it is discouraging to children who, at lower levels in the sport, should be taught that losing matches is a way of throwing mistakes into the spotlight that, once identified, can be worked on and improved.

A tweet by Real Madrid gloating about its 167 baskets to L'Alcora's five has been seen as rubbing it in and sparked criticism.

The issue has created a divide in the world of children's sports, with some considering that a hollow beating like this is something kids should learn to live with as this is 'how sports works' and they should not be sheltered from it, whilst others say such disheartening results could lead to little ones deciding to give up in despair rather than learning from unsuccessful matches, and begs the question that such a massive defeat may be due to poor planning and pitting children of radically different strengths and abilities against each other.

The tweet, from Real Madrid's official account, @RMBaloncesto, has led to a flood of outrage from followers.