Iran’s judo federation slams a newly imposed ban on its fighters taking part in international competitions, saying it was based on “false claims.”
The International Judo Federation said yesterday it had banned Iran indefinitely over the country’s refusal to allow its fighters to face Israeli opponents.
The IJF issued a provisional ban last month while probing allegations Iranian judoka Saeid Mollaei had been ordered to lose a combat in order to avoid facing an Israeli at the World Championships in August.
The Iranian federation’s chief Arash Miresmaeili denounces the decision as a “cruel and a blatant betrayal,” the state news agency IRNA said.
Iran’s judoka Saeid Mollaei reacts after losing to Belgium’s Matthias Casse in the semi-final fight in the men’s under-81 kilogram category during the 2019 Judo World Championships in Tokyo on August 28, 2019. (Charly Triballeau/AFP)
“The international federation shouldn’t have taken such a measure against judo in Iran merely based on a false claim by an athlete,” he was quoted as saying.
The decision, he says, would prevent teams of Iranian fighters from various age groups from being sent abroad.
Mollaei, who was defending his title at the World Championships in Tokyo last month, said he was ordered by the presidents of Iran’s judo federation and Olympics committee to throw his semi-final rather than risk facing an Israeli in the final of the -81kg class.
— AFP
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