By Al Ahed Staff, Agencies
An Iranian taekwondo athlete has withdrawn from the World Under-21 Championships in Kenya after the tournament draw placed her against a “Israeli” opponent in the opening round.
Rozhan Goudarzi — who earned a bronze medal last month in the women’s under-51 kg category at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh — pulled out from competing against “Israeli” rivals.
Earlier this year, Leader of the Islamic Revolution His Eminence Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei reaffirmed this position, describing such withdrawals as a “sacrifice” made for national and religious principles and urging sports bodies to support and compensate athletes who make this choice. “We must not neglect the well-being of this athlete,” the Leader said.
Local media reported Wednesday that Goudarzi formally withdrew after being placed in the same group as an athlete from what Iranian officials refer to as the “Zionist entity.” According to ISNA, she had been scheduled to face the “Israeli” competitor in the first round.
Iran does not recognize the “Israeli” entity and prohibits any form of contact between Iranian and “Israeli” athletes. As a result, Iranian competitors have for years avoided direct matchups through withdrawal, disqualification, or medical exemption.
Iranian officials lodged objections to the competition draw, but the World Taekwondo Federation stated it could not alter the tournament schedule. Goudarzi's withdrawal follows her recent success in Riyadh, where she secured a bronze medal for Iran in the under-51 kg category.
No comments:
Post a Comment