A Lebanese fighter withdrew from the World Martial Arts Championships in Bulgaria to avoid facing a Zionist athlete.
According to Al-Ahd News Agency, Lebanese fighter Abdullah Maniato withdrew from the tournament after his draw at the World Martial Arts Championship in Bulgaria against a Zionist player.
This decision was quickly made by this fighter and his trainer “Mohammad Al-Gharbi”.
Mohammad Al-Gharbi wrote in his Instagram post: We do not see this decision as a withdrawal from the competition; because to continue it in this way means to recognize the usurping Zionist regime that has killed the children of our nation and usurped our land.
In recent days, other athletes from other countries, such as Algerian judoka Fathi Nourin and Sudanese judoka Mohamed Abdel Rasoul, withdrew from the Olympics to avoid facing a Zionist representative.
Meanwhile, Saudi female judoka Tahani al-Qahtani agreed to play against a representative of the Zionist regime under pressure and Al-Saud’s plans to continue the project of normalization of relations in the Arab world and Muslim countries.
The Saudi Minister of Sports went to the Saudi judoka’s training ground on Thursday before the game and gave the necessary advice not to give up in front of the Zionist representative. Al-Saud’s ruling to play against a Zionist athlete was part of a larger project to normalize relations with the occupying regime but this move not only failed to advance the already failed project, but also had a negative impact, with the Arab world and Muslims increasingly expressing their disgust with Al-Saud.
Al-Qahtani eventually withdrew from the competition with a hard-fought defeat to an Israeli opponent.