Lebanese Junior Table Tennis Athlete Refuses to Face Israel's Rival at World Championships

Porto, MINA – A Lebanese junior table tennis athlete has withdrawn from the World Table Tennis (WTT) Tournament Youth Star Contender Vila Nova de Gaia 2022 in Portugal because he avoided facing his Israeli opponent.

Press TV reported that the decision was seen as a new insult to the Tel Aviv regime following similar actions taken by a number of Muslim players from across the Muslim world.

According to Palestinian news agency Quds News Network, 11-year-old athlete Bissan Chiri decided to withdraw from the contest after she was told she would face Israel’s Elinor Davidov in the U15 women’s singles match.

Chiri’s actions drew widespread acclaim on social media platforms.

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Earlier this month, Lebanese tennis player Mohamed Ataya dropped out of the Cyprus International Championships to avoid facing Israeli opponents.

The Gaza-based Anti-Normalization Campaign welcomed the decision, saying the athlete’s withdrawal reflects the rejection by the Lebanese nation, and all Arab people, to normalize with the Israeli occupation regime, and their struggle against the crimes committed by Israel against the defenseless Palestinian people.

The movement praised the player, saying he joins a long list of honorable heroes who have resisted normalization in response to calls to boycott the Tel Aviv regime.

Back in early September, Kuwaiti karate fighter Mohammad Al-Otaibi withdrew from the Karate 1-Premier League 2022 contest in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku to avoid facing the Israeli contestant over his support for the Palestinian cause and rejection of normalization with the Tel Aviv regime.

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Otaibi was set to participate in the men’s kumite 60 kilogram division of an international tournament. He withdrew from the competition as soon as he learned that he was scheduled to face Israeli competitor Ronen Gehtbarg.

In April, Kuwaiti fencer Mohamed Al-Fadli withdrew from the World Fencing Championships held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), after he refused to play against the Israeli contestants.

Fadli also withdrew from an international tournament in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, in September 2019, after the draw placed him in a group competing with Israeli players. (T/R1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)