Quidditch game from "Harry Potter" renamed because of Joan Rowling's comments
The Quidditch Association has announced its intention to rename the sport, first described in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels and then featured in the Quidditch movies. From now on, Quidditch will be called "Quadball."
According to the organizations, the change is meant to distance itself from the writer's anti-transgender comments.
American Quidditch and the Quidditch Major League, the two governing bodies in North America, said the new name will be used starting in the summer of 2022. The International Quidditch Association also plans to adopt the name, the organizations said.
This name change is a game-changer for us, and we aim to make the most of it," said an open letter that was addressed to all players. Note that Quidditch evolved into an international sport from a team founded in 2005 at Middlebury College. The actual version of the game represented in the Harry Potter books resembles a mixture of rugby and dodgeball. Almost 600 teams in 40 countries are said to play Quidditch.
For those who missed the Harry Potter phenomenon, a reminder that Quidditch is a magical sport in which two teams flying on brooms compete by throwing a ball through hoops. Each goal is worth 10 points, and the team whose Trapper catches the Golden Snitch gets an extra 150 points. Harry Potter was one of the few who succeeded.