Saturday, at the Tokyo Olympics, Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine preferred to forfeit rather than face an Israeli. Other such incidents have already occurred. Nourine does it again after the 2019 Worlds Next Monday, Fethi Nourine should have participated in the olympic judo tournament of Tokyo Games, in the category of – 73 kg. But, on Saturday, he decided to give up so as not to possibly face the Israeli Tohar Butbul, a little later in the tournament. Nourine declared herself in solidarity with the Palestinian cause, to justify herself. The Algerian had already done the same, during the 2019 World Championships, always so as not to have to face Butbul. read also Fethi Nourine suspend Iranian Judokas Boycott Israelis Since 1979 and the Islamic Revolution, Iran has not recognized the State of Israel. Several of its judokas have refused to fight their Israeli counterparts. World champion in -66 kg, Arash Miresmaeili gave up Olympic gold in Athens in 2004, when he should have crossed paths with Ehud Vacks. Being five kg overweight before the start of the Games, Miresmaeili was disqualified. In a dispatch from an Iranian agency, however, he indicated his support for the Palestinian cause. The Iranian Olympic Committee then clarified that this was not a decision made by the athlete himself. His extra pounds were finally recognized and allowed him to avoid punishment. At the 2001 World Judo Championships, Mahed Malekmohammdi and Masoud Haji Akhoundzade also forfeited rather than falling on an Israeli opponent. Fear of reprisals Some Iranian athletes or of Iranian origin have given up competing, but then admitted having yielded to government pressure and feared possible reprisals against them or their relatives. The most recent example is that of judoka Saeid Mollaei. After the 2019 Worlds, which took place in Tokyo, he admitted to losing his fights in the semi-finals and then for the bronze medal on purpose. The first to avoid having to face the Israeli Sagi Muki in the final, the second to avoid ending up on the podium with him. Mollaei then took refuge in Berlin where he revealed the facts. He has since fought under the colors of Mongolia and has not returned to Iran. In football, in 2007, Ashkan Dejagah, Iranian born in Tehran, member of the German Under-21 team, the country where he had grown up, refused to go to Israel to play a match there. He said he was afraid of having problems on his return to Iran, as well as for his relatives. The German Federation understood Dejagah’s reasons and did not sanction him. read also Mollaei, the judoka who said no to Tehran Swimming, wrestling and tennis too Iranian swimmer Mohammad Alirezaei felt ill at the Beijing Games and gave up racing in the 100m breaststroke. The Israeli Tom Be’eri was in his series … Having been briefly treated in hospital, he was not punished. But the doubt persisted, especially since Alirezaei then forfeited the 2009 and 2011 Worlds. Each time, he had an Israeli opponent. In 2019, at the World Wrestling Championships, Domenic Abounader, born in the United States but competing for Lebanon, his country of origin, followed the recommendations of his federation and refused to face an Israeli opponent. Lebanon prohibits its citizens from any contact with Israelis, since a law passed in 1955. In tennis, in 2013, the Tunisian Malek Jaziri received a letter from his federation, informing him that he should not face the Israeli Amir Weintraub at the Tashkent Challenger tournament. Which he did, reluctantly. Weintraub and Jaziri played in the same club, in Sarcelles, and were good friends. The first had even invited the second to his wedding. When Israel joined UEFA Due to the refusal of the Arab countries to face it, Israel left the Asian Football Confederation in 1974 and contested the World Cup qualifiers with Oceania in 1978, 1986 and 1990. In 1982 and since 1994, the Israeli selection has played them under the aegis of UEFA. In 1997, Iran held a World Cup fencing event, but refused to allow Israeli athletes to participate. The visa applications were thus rejected. Apartheid, cold war … In 1974, the final of the Davis Cup should have opposed India to South Africa. But, to protest against the apartheid policy that existed among the latter, the Indians forfeited, leaving their opponent to win the Silver Bowl. Following the coup d’etat which overthrew Salvador Allende and brought General Pinochet to power, the USSR team did not go to Chile in the qualifying play-offs for the 1974 Football World Cup. The Chileans came out on their own. lawn, quickly scored a goal and the game went no further, with Chile qualifying for the World Cup. The Olympic Games were marked by numerous boycotts. The most famous took place in 1976 (African countries), 1980 (western block) and 1984 (Eastern bloc). But some nations refused to participate, targeting a particular country. This was the case of China, which renounced the Melbourne Games in 1956, due to the presence of Taiwan. In 1988 in Seoul, North Korea refused to participate, after being refused a co-organization of the Olympics with its neighbor to the South. In solidarity, Cuba, Ethiopia and Albania did not come either. No handshake It has happened that athletes from two countries with strained relations clash, but do not shake hands afterwards. This is what Egyptian judoka Islam El Shehaby did at the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016, after losing to Israeli Or Sasson. In athletics, in 1988, on the podium of a discus throw event, Jurgen Schult (RDA) ignored the outstretched hand of Wolfgang Schmidt (FRG). The latter, a former East German athlete, then moved to the West.
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