Abu Dhabi CNN —An Iranian professional weightlifter received a lifetime ban from competing after shaking the hand of an Israeli athlete during an international competition, according to an Iranian state news agency.
Weightlifting champion Mostafa Rajaee, 36, was filmed shaking hands and posing for a picture with Israel’s Maksim Svirsky at the World Master Weightlifting Championships in Poland this week, according to a video published by Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA Wednesday.
Polmasters/YouTubeThe head of the expedition, Hamid Salehinia, was also removed from his position, state outlet Tasnim reported.
In an Instagram post after the event, Rajaee thanked “everyone who helped me along the way [for finishing second]” but did not comment on either the handshake or his subsequent ban.
Iran does not recognize Israel as a country and regularly issues hostile statements, while Iranian athletes have long been prohibited by the government from competing against Israelis.
Persons:
Mostafa Rajaee, Israel’s Maksim Svirsky, Rajaee, Maksim Svirsky, Hamid Salehinia, “, Saeid Mollaei, Mollaei, Israel’s Sagi Muki, Matthias Casse, ”
Organizations:
Abu Dhabi CNN, IRNA, ”, International Judo Federation, International Chess Federation, FIDE, Iranian Chess Federation
Locations:
Abu Dhabi, Iranian, Poland, Israel, Iran, Belgium, Germany