Saeid Mollaei
FILE - Saeid Mollaei of Mongolia celebrates with his silver medal during the award ceremony for the men -81kg judo match at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, on July 27, 2021. The Iran judo federation’s appeal against a four-year ban from international events for refusing to let its athletes face opponents from Israel has been heard, and a verdict should take at least several weeks. The IJF acted against Iran after former world champion Saeid Mollaei left the team in 2019. He claimed he was ordered to lose matches at the 2019 world championships to avoid facing Israelis. Mollaei won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics competing for Mongolia. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Iran appeals ban from judo for avoiding Israeli opponents

Nov. 23, 2021 11:29 AM EST

Algerian judoka banned 10 years for refusing Olympic bout

By Greg Beacham Sep. 13, 2021 04:04 PM EDT
Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine has been banned from competition for 10 years by the International Judo Federation after his withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics...

An Changrim of South Korea, left, and Tohar Butbul of Israel compete during their men's -73kg quarterfinal judo match at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Monday, July 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Israeli judo star perseveres after 2 opponents' withdrawals

By Greg Beacham Jul. 26, 2021 06:35 AM EDT

Kimia Alizadeh Zonoozi, Refugee Olympic Team, right, is attacked by Britain's Jade Jones during the taekwondo women's 57kg match at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 25, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Iranian taekwondoka barely misses refugee team's 1st medal

By Greg Beacham Jul. 24, 2021 11:57 PM EDT

People prepare the field of play for judo at the Nippon Budokan ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 23, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Algerian judoka refuses potential Olympic bout with Israeli

By Greg Beacham Jul. 23, 2021 10:29 PM EDT

FILE - In this Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018, file photo, Saeid Mollaei of Iran, top, competes against Didar Khamza of Kazakhstan during their men's - 81kg final judo match at the18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. A group of athletes and human rights activists is calling on the IOC to sanction Iran's Olympic program for what it says is the country's long-running pattern of ordering athletes to avoid competing against Israelis in international events. Last month, the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned Iran's suspension from international judo events in a case stemming from former world champion Saeid Mollaei's departure from the Iranian team; Mollaei had claimed he was ordered to lose matches and withdraw from competitions to avoid facing Israelis. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana, File)
Iran gets 4-year ban from world judo over anti-Israel policy

Apr. 29, 2021 02:12 PM EDT

FILE - In this Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018, file photo, Saeid Mollaei of Iran, top, competes against Didar Khamza of Kazakhstan during their men's - 81kg final judo match at the18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. A group of athletes and human rights activists is calling on the IOC to sanction Iran's Olympic program for what it says is the country's long-running pattern of ordering athletes to avoid competing against Israelis in international events. Last month, the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned Iran's suspension from international judo events in a case stemming from former world champion Saeid Mollaei's departure from the Iranian team; Mollaei had claimed he was ordered to lose matches and withdraw from competitions to avoid facing Israelis. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana, File)
Activists call for IOC to sanction Iran Olympic program

Apr. 20, 2021 02:07 PM EDT

FILE - In this photo taken Sept. 12, 2019 file photo, Iranian judoka Saeid Mollaei poses for a portrait photo at an undisclosed southern city of Germany. Iran’s suspension from international judo events for refusing to let its athletes fight Israeli opponents has been overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, it was reported on Monday, March 1, 2021. The case was provoked by former world champion Saeid Mollaei leaving the Iranian team in 2019. He claimed he was ordered by team officials to lose matches and withdraw from competitions to avoid facing Israelis. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, FIle)
Sports court lifts Iran judo suspension over Israel policy

Mar. 01, 2021 10:05 AM EST