Israel's top Olympic shooter, Sergey Richter, one of the top shooters in the world, who was going to leave tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon for Jakarta, Indonesia, for the first of four World Cup competitions in 2023, which is a significant competition in accumulating points to achieve the criterion for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, did not go to the competition for political reasons.
When the competition will take place this coming Saturday - the 28th of the month.
Today Richter received a message from the organizers that he will not be able to compete in Indonesia with Israeli insignia including the Israeli flag on his official clothing and rifle.
It should be noted that Richter is competing with him for the rifle engraved with the Israeli flag and the letters ISR.
The organizers informed the Israeli federation and Richter that they would allow the introduction of his weapon, only if they received approval from Israel for the Israeli shooter to appear under the identification marks of the International Shooting Federation or the flag of the International Olympic Committee.
"I will never agree to participate in any competition without the ISR on my competition suit, on my personal rifle and on the results screen. I do not understand how the Olympic movement approves holding international competitions in general and those that constitute an ability test for the Olympic Games in countries that prohibit identification marks of the countries that the athletes represent" .
Richter added: "I am opening the most important year on the way to Paris, when my opponents gain a professional advantage over me due to political problems. If the Olympic movement, which advocates the existence of sports without distinctions of nationality, religion, race and gender, does not stand behind its ideology, then what is its value? I do not understand how they allow for the state to hold some kind of competition with a national identity limitation."
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