DUBAI (Middle East Eyes) -
Kuwaiti fencing player Mohammad Al-Fadli has refused to face a Zionist opponent in the group stage of the World Fencing Championships held in Dubai.
Arab activists took to social media to praise Al-Fadli for “opposing Arab countries’ normalization with the Zionist occupation”, adding that his actions are “complementary to Kuwait’s supporting stance for the Palestinian cause.”
In September 2019, Al-Fadli withdrew from an international tournament in the Dutch capital Amsterdam, after the lottery had placed him in a group competing with an Israeli player.
In recent years, multiple Kuwaiti athletes withdrew from different international tournaments after being pitted against Zionist opponents. They say they actions are in support of the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights and rejection of normalizing with the Zionist occupation.