Iran has banned a weightlifter from sports for life and dissolved a sports committee after the athlete greeted an Israeli counterpart on a podium.
Mostafa Rajaei, a veteran weightlifter, finished second in his category in the 2023 World Master Weightlifting Championships in Poland and stood on a podium with an Iranian flag wrapped around him on Saturday.
On anther step of the podium stood Maksim Svirsky from Israel, who finished third.
The two athletes shook hands and took a picture together, which led to the Iran Weightlifting Federation banning Rajaei from all sports for life due to what it called an “unforgivable” transgression.
This sounds fake to me. I know the media always lies to make the state department happy so I shouldn’t be surprised. I am just no used to them putting out propaganda in this direction
Why does it sound fake? Iran’s made its position on Israeli athletes quite clear. It will not allow its athletes to compete with Israeli athletes.