A group of athletes and human rights activists is calling on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to sanction Iran’s Olympic program for Iran’s long-running pattern of ordering athletes to avoid competing against Israelis in international events, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday.
The head of the United for Navid campaign, formed to protest the execution of Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari, sent a letter to IOC president Thomas Bach this week highlighting more than a half-dozen examples over the past 16 years of Iranian athletes intentionally losing matches that would set up meetings against Israelis, or withdrawing from competitions against athletes from that country.
Read more