Iran bans champion weightlifter for life for shaking hands with Israeli competitor – deemed ‘unforgivable’.
An Iranian flag (Reuters)
Iran Bans Weightlifter for Shaking Hands with Israeli Competitor
Iran has taken drastic measures by banning one of its champion weightlifters from ever competing again after he shook hands with an Israeli competitor during a match in Poland this week.
The ban was imposed on Mostafa Rajaee, an Iranian weightlifter, after a photograph captured him shaking hands with Maksim Svirsky of Israel at the World Master Weightlifting Championships in Poland. Iranian state media reported this incident.
The head of Iran’s weightlifting federation condemned Rajaee’s action, deeming it “unacceptable and unforgivable,” as reported by CNN.
This incident is not an isolated case, as the Iranian government has previously exerted pressure on its athletes to avoid any interaction with Israeli competitors. CNN highlights:
The International Judo Federation suspended Iran in 2021 for four years when it was revealed that Iranian judoka Saeid Mollaei was instructed to withdraw from the 2019 World Judo Championships to evade facing an Israeli opponent.
In 2020, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) demanded the Iranian Chess Federation to clarify its stance on competing against Israeli athletes due to repeated instances where Iranian athletes refused to participate in games involving Israeli citizens.
Rajaee, despite the ban, managed to secure the silver medal at the championships in Poland.
This incident follows a previous report where Iran threatened the family members of its World Cup soccer team if the players did not adhere to certain behavioral expectations.
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