TEHRAN: For years, its athletes have managed to avoid Israeli opponents, but Iran’s suspension from international judo competition is a wake-up call for the Islamic republic ahead of the 2020 Olympics. The International Judo Federation (IJF) this week announced its decision to confirm a provisional ban on Iran over its refusal to allow its fighters to face Israeli judokas. The head of the Iranian federation, Arash Miresmaeili, denounced the ban as a “cruel and a blatant betrayal” based on “false claims”, according to state news agency IRNA. Judo is one of Iran’s sporting strengths and the ban comes as a blow just nine months ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. But the Iranian athletes who do manage to avoid Israeli opponents are feted as “heroes” at home for the “sacrifice” they have made.

Source: Pakistan Today October 26, 2019 10:07 UTC