Iranian youth athlete withdraws from fight with Israel competitor
18 August 2010
At the Singapore Youth Olympics, officials of the Iranian team have reportedly forced a 16 year-old taekwondo fighter to withdraw because he was pitted against an Israeli competitor in the final. Mohammed Soleimani withdrew from the final, saying he had a leg injury. He was also absent from the medal ceremony as he claimed that he had to go to hospital. Soleimani was to stand on the silver medal position as the Israeli flag was hoisted in the highest position.
A spokesman of the International Olympic Committee said an independent doctor had confirmed that Soleimani suffered an injury: “What we know factually is that the athlete injured his ankle and was sent to the hospital for an X-ray. Tests revealed he did not suffer anything broken, and he is all right now. So unless more factual information is available, it is mere speculation."
Germany's badminton coach Holger Hasse said: "I heard about what happened with Iran and Israel and it's very disappointing that the athletes must follow some political rules and I can't understand this. This is a chance for countries to be peaceful and for the next generation to change things. Athletes are not political, they just want to have fun and meet friends." Nigerian coach Jones Adakole told reporters: "This should not happen here, and it's unfair. The Youth Olympics are about unity." Malaysian badminton coach Wong Tat Meng agreed, saying: "What's the purpose of the Youth Olympics? It's to get everybody to enjoy sport and they should put aside politics. They should have carried on for the good of the sport."
Comments
We welcome any comments you may have on this article.
I hope Soleimani was stripped of his silver medal. If he did not compete in the finals, he should not receive a medal.
If you are a facebook user you may choose to have the comment appear on your wall.
Comments are moderated and we reserve the right to edit or remove any which are derogatory or offensive.
The WJC is not responsible for the content of any comments.
Get Involved
World Jewish Congress Secretary General Dan Diker speaks on the upcoming debate at the United Nations about the unilateral declaration of statehood by the Palestinians.
Michael S. Levy, about 1 year ago
Poor Mo. Damned if you do...damned if you don't. I believe this to be a case of self preservation. Should Mo have lost to the Israeli, once back in Iraq he undoubtedly would have been assassinated...either in character or reality. Mo would have absolutely no future and his life in competitive sports would be over. He can now go home nursing that 'injury', knowing he's safe.