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Israel cheers for exiled Iranian judo master

Israelis have embraced exiled Iranian judoka Saeid Mollaei, who defected for his sport and recently competed in Tel Aviv.
Iranian-born Mongolian judoka Saeid Mollaei competes during the finals of the men's under 81kg category of Tel Aviv Grand Slam 2021 in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv, on February 19, 2021. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP) (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Israel has won a small victory against Iran — at least on the judo mat. While the international community is all riled up arguing over Iran’s nuclear program and Israel’s opposition to it, a sporting event introduced a smidgen of optimism to the longstanding quarrel. Exiled Iranian judoka Saeid Mollaei arrived in Tel Aviv last week to take part in the international judo community’s Grand Slam event on Feb. 18-20. With enthusiastic support from his Israeli fans, he made it to the finals in his weight class and ended up winning a silver medal.

Iran, like several Arab states, forbids its athletes from competing against Israeli rivals. For years, it instructed them to withdraw from competitions rather than take on an Israeli opponent. Some were told to fake illness or injury; others were ordered to throw matches.

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