https://www.france24.com/en/20191026-ju ... f-olympicsFor years, its athletes have managed to avoid Israeli opponents, but Iran's suspension from international judo competition is a wake-up call for the Islamic republic ahead of the 2020 Olympics.
The International Judo Federation (IJF) this week announced its decision to confirm a provisional ban on Iran over its refusal to allow its fighters to face Israeli judokas.
The verdict came after an investigation was launched into an incident during the 2019 World Championships in Tokyo at the end of August.
Iran's Saeid Mollaei, defending his title in the -81kg class, was defeated in the semi-final and also went on to lose his third-place bout.
At the end of the tournament, the 27-year-old -- who has not returned to Iran -- said he had been ordered to throw the semi-final rather than risk facing an Israeli in the final.
The Israeli, Sagi Muki, went on to win gold.
About time too!