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Saeid Mollaei
Photo: KIM KYUNG-HOON / REUTERS
The Iranian judoka Saeid Mollaei, who competed in a World Cup fight against the will of the regime in 2019 and then had to leave his home country, is taking part in an international tournament in Israel this Friday.
The fall of the former world champion Mollaei made headlines around a year and a half ago.
The now 29-year-old had refused the order to leave the competition at the World Cup in Tokyo.
If successful, Mollaei would have had to compete against the Israeli Sagi Muki - according to Mollaei and the world association IJF, this should be avoided on the instructions of the Iranian deputy sports minister.
Mollaei competed anyway and, according to his own statement, lost on purpose.
Afterwards he did not return to his home country out of "fear of what might happen to my family and me".
The world federation later banned the Iranian federation for an indefinite period;
Mollaei first fled to Germany, then fought under a neutral flag.
He has now taken on the Mongolian citizenship.
Mollaei now said on Israeli television: “I'm running for Mongolia, not Iran.
I'm an athlete, I've always been, I've never been political. "
Iran has not recognized Israel as a legitimate state since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
The head of the Iranian Judo Association said last Tuesday that Mollaei had "turned away from the ideals of the regime and the goals of the country."
Sagi Muki, the athlete Mollaei was not supposed to compete against and who became world champion in Tokyo, posted a photo on Facebook that showed him together with Mollaei.
In addition he wrote: "Welcome, brother".
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mon / Reuters