Iranian judoka says he’ll never forget the kindness of the Israeli team
Molayi said he had expressed fears about his safety and that of his family after ignoring Iranian officials two years ago.
Iranian athletes have long been banned from competing in any sport against Israeli opponents because Iran denies Israel the right to exist as a state.
Molei has not returned to his country of origin since. In August 2019, he was granted asylum in Germany and became a citizen of Mongolia.
2019 world championship
Back at the 2019 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, Molei says his coach received two calls from Iranian officials and ordered his fighter out of the tournament to avoid the prospect of meeting Mookie in the final.
The 29-year-old ignored those warnings, but lost in the semi-finals of the competition – a result he says was influenced by emotional stress caused by a request from Iranian authorities.
“I wanted to win, but it wasn’t an option,” Molloy told CNN Sport in 2020. “I thought to myself that if I violate it, it would be the end of my career and many other bad consequences for me. And my family.”
At the time, Salehi Amiri, chairman of Iran’s Olympic Committee, said the fighter and his family “will not and will not face any danger or danger.”
The Swiss court did not immediately respond to CNN’s question as to when Cass would publish its decision on Iran’s appeal.
However, President of the Judo Federation of Iran, Arash Myersamely, says that Molai’s presence in the competition has embarrassed Iranians on the world stage.
“Many of our youth who could single-handedly honor our country in the International Assembly in the last one year were denied such an honor because of this person’s actions.
“Much blood has been shed to protect Islamic Iran and many families have lost their youth. It is a matter of regret that someone, for their own personal gain, has returned to their homeland.”
The Iranian Judo Federation was not immediately available for CNN’s request for comment.
Artemis Moshtaghian contributed reporting.
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