Iraqi tennis players refuse Israel match due to 'oppression of Palestinians'
Iraqi tennis players refuse Israel match due to 'oppression of Palestinians'
Iraqi tennis players Nasr Mahdi and Muhammad al-Mahdi have withdrawn from a Romanian tennis tournament after refusing to play against an Israeli team.
1 min read
The Bucharest Open Wheelchair Tennis Tournament 2022 is set to begin on 15 August [Getty]
Two Iraqi tennis players withdrew on Thursday from a tournament in RomaniaÌýafterÌýrefusingÌýto competeÌýagainst Israeli players, reportedly due to a pan-Arab, anti-normalisation stance.
Nasr Mahdi and Muhammad al-Mahdi pulled out of their upcoming doubles match against "the Israeli occupation team"Ìýas part of the Bucharest Open Wheelchair Tennis Tournament 2022 set to begin Monday,Ìýstate media siteÌýIraqi News Agency reported.
"The championship matches pitted the Iraqi team against (Israel)…Nasr Mahdi and Muhammad Al-Mahdi, withdrew, refusing to confront the Zionist entity,"Ìýthe head of theÌýIraqi Tennis Association said.
Opponents of Israel'sÌýkillings, arbitrary arrests, and home evictions of Palestinians often boycott cultural or sportingÌýevents that feature Israelis as a show of solidarity toward Palestinians.
Rights groupsÌýincluding Amnesty InternationalÌýsay Israel's oppression of Palestinians amounts to "the crime of apartheid".
Iraq's parliamentÌýon 26 May unanimouslyÌýpassedÌýa law criminalising any form of contact or normalisation with Israel.
The lawÌýthreatensÌýlife imprisonment or even execution for anyone calling for the two countries to normalise ties.
°®Âþµº has contacted the International Tennis Federation to ask ifÌýplans exist to offerÌýMahdi and al-Mahdi alternative matches in the tournament.
Ìý
