Iranian Wrestler Withdraws From Competition To Avoid Israelis

Iran's 86-kilogram national wrestler, Hadi Vafaeipour, has withdrawn from a wrestling competition in Croatia, reportedly to avoid facing an Israeli rival in the upcoming stage.

Vafaeipour's decision was influenced by the presence of two Israeli wrestlers in the tournament, claiming a failure to meet the weight requirement as the reason for his withdrawal. Instead of confronting a Swiss wrestler, Vafaeipour strategically opted out, foreseeing potential matchups against Israeli opponents in the subsequent stages.

The persistent issue of Iranian athletes not competing against Israelis, as a government policy, has long sparked protests from influential figures in Iranian sports. Government attempts to prevent such matchups have led to significant consequences, including the resignation of Olympic wrestling champion Rasoul Khadem from key positions within the Wrestling Federation and the National Olympic Committee.

The incident adds to a history of Iranian athletes avoiding Israeli competitors through various tactics, such as intentional losses and strategic withdrawals. The consequences of such actions were underscored by the four-year suspension of the Iranian Judo Federation following Saeed Mollaei's deliberate defeat.

Mollaei, a former world judo champion and member of the Iranian national judo team, revealed in 2019 that Iranian officials had instructed him to intentionally lose against an opponent to circumvent facing an Israeli athlete.

In a recent meeting with athletes during the Asian Games, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei, reiterated the directive to avoid direct competition between Iranian and Israeli athletes.