Just two days after Lebanese judoka Safaifov Kramanov refused to face Israeli opponent Li Kochman at the Antalya Grand Slam in Turkey, politics were mixed with sports again at the Junior World Fencing Championships held in Dubai on Wednesday.
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Kuwaiti fencer Muhammad Ali Alfadhli did not arrive for a scheduled match against Israeli opponent Eitan Lemberger, supposedly due to an injury. However, often these decisions are made higher up the chain.
Alfadhli was praised on social media for "opposing Arab countries' normalization with the Israeli occupation" and "supporting the Palestinian cause."
In recent years, multiple athletes, including from Kuwait, withdrew from various international tournaments after being pitted against Israeli opponents, drawing criticism from federations, who insist politics and sports must be kept separate.
Lemberger automatically advanced to the next round and finished the competition in 18th place.
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