SOPHIA, Bulgaria (Dispatches) - Lebanon’s Abdullah Miniato has withdrawn from the international mixed martial arts (MMA) competition in Sophia, Bulgaria to avoid a match against a Zionist opponent, following the lead of two African athletes who refused to fight their Zionist rivals at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games.
The young Lebanese fighter and his coach, Muhammad Al-Gharbi, announced the withdrawal from the sports event after the draw placed Miniato against an Zionist athlete on Saturday.
Athletes hailing from Muslim nations have on numerous occasions refused to face Zionist opponents at key international competitions in a gesture of protest at the Zionist atrocities and the occupation of Palestinian lands.
In recent days, Sudanese judoka Mohamed Abdalrasool and Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine withdrew from the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in the Japanese capital city of Tokyo to avoid having to confront Zionist opponents.