Iran leader reasserts ban on sports with Israel

Tehran – Iran’s Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday reasserted the Islamic republic’s longstanding ban on aggressive sport with Israelis, and promised help for athletes disciplined by worldwide our bodies for respecting it.

Iran doesn’t acknowledge Israel and its athletes normally chorus from dealing with Israeli opponents, whether or not by forfeiting the match or by merely not taking part.

However whereas their actions earn them reward from prime officers again residence, they’ve generally resulted in disciplinary measures from worldwide our bodies.

“Any Iranian athlete worthy of the identify can not shake arms with a consultant of the felony regime with a purpose to win a medal,” Khamenei advised a reception for Iran’s medalists from the Tokyo 2020 Video games.

“The illegitimate, bloodthirsty … Zionist regime tries to win legitimacy by collaborating in worldwide sporting occasions attended by the world conceitedness (Washington and the West), and our athletes can not simply stand idly by,” he added, in feedback posted on his official web site.

In Tokyo, Iran gained seven Olympic medals, three of them gold, in addition to 24 Paralympic medals.

Khamenei instructed “the sports activities and overseas ministries, in addition to the judiciary, to deploy their authorized sources to help athletes from this and different Muslim nations, just like the Algerian who was just lately disciplined.”

He was referring to Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine, who withdrew from the Tokyo Video games after the draw set him on the right track for a potential matchup towards an Israeli opponent, prompting his suspension from worldwide competitors.

Two years in the past, an Iranian judoka, Saeid Mollaei, defected after being ordered to intentionally lose at a World Cup occasion to keep away from combating Israeli Sagi Muki within the ultimate.

He competed in Tokyo below the Mongolian flag, profitable a silver medal for his adopted nation.

The Worldwide Judo Federation suspended Iran from the game over the Mollaei case, though the ban was canceled earlier this yr by the Courtroom of Arbitration for Sport.

One other well-known case was present Iranian judo federation president Arash Miresmaeili, a two-time judo world champion who confirmed up chubby for his bout towards an Israeli on the 2004 Olympics in Athens and was disqualified.