After years of Iranian judokas faking injuries and defeats in order to avoid fighting an Israeli opponent, the Iran Judo Federation has agreed with the Olympic Charter, International Judo Federation, and their non-discrimination principles.
So will we possibly see an Iranian judoka fighting an Israeli? Hell, no.
Both Iranian top athletes Saeid Mollaei and Mohammad Mohammadi withdrew under pressure of the World Championships. Both are not allowed to fight against possible Israelian fighters. A very sad moment in sports as Iran agreed with the Judo Federation to respect the Olympic Charter and its non-discrimination principle and the Iran Judo Federation shall fully comply with the charter and the IJF statutes.
This is from a website called Judo Inside, even though it sounds like an Iranian propaganda press release: “A very sad moment in sports as Iran agreed with the Judo Federation to respect the Olympic Charter and its non-discrimination principle and the Iran Judo Federation shall fully comply with the charter and the IJF statutes”? Yup, the tears should be flowing that the discrimination will end (I wonder if they used similar language when the Iranians were throwing bouts). Also, “Israelian”?
I’m just glad the IJF has seemingly grown a spine and testicles after years of missing both.
And that we won’t be subjected to these kinds of bad acting shenanigans.
Update: This report did not age well.
With tensions mounting in the Middle East, Iranian and Israeli fighters could be facing off in the near future, much to the delight of the International Judo Federation, or IJF. After 40 years of boycotting Israeli athletes, Iran appears to have reversed course.
In a letter to the IJF on May 9, the heads of the Iranian judo federation and the Olympics committee declared that they would “fully respect the Olympic Charter and its non-discrimination principle.” Iran’s reversal may be the clearest example of how the strict enforcement of international rules, including punishment and threats when necessary, can eradicate sports discrimination.
The International Judo Federation credits anti-boycott pressure from its president, Marius Vizer, and the IJF’s apparent threat to ban Iran from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, for prompting the recent letter. Fear of becoming a sports pariah led Iran to abandon its efforts to delegitimize the Jewish state at international competitions.
