BYDGOSZCZ, Poland – The global sporting body of wrestling has banned an Iranian athlete for six months for deliberately throwing a match to avoid an Israeli opponent.
Alireza Karimachiani was winning a match against his Russian opponent in November’s under-23 world championships when his coach ordered him to lose.
United World Wrestling (UWW) has confirmed the sanction and also handed a two year penalty to his coach Hamidreza Jamshidi, the BBC reported.
An investigation was launched in December after it was alleged that Karimi had lost the quarter final of his under-86 kilograms freestyle contest at the 2017 Under-23 World Championships in Bydgoszcz on purpose.
“Karimachiani, on instruction of his coach Jamshidi, wilfully lost his 1/8 finals match against Alikhan Zhabrilov,” the chamber said, referring to the Russian opponent in the match.
“Both wrestler and coach were found to have acted in direct violation of the International Wrestling Rules… and the UWW Disciplinary Regulations,” it added.
Karimachiani was beaten by Russian Alikhan Zhabrayilov, who went on to win the gold medal in the Polish city, 14-3 on November 23.
If he had won, he would have faced Israel’s Uri Kalashnikov in the next round.
Iran does not recognise the state of Israel and bans its athletes from competing against Israelis.
Iran’s wrestling federation has said it will challenge the ban.
Karimachiani’s ban was set to run for two years from the date of the incident – making him eligible to compete in late May 2018.
His coach, Hamidreza Jamshidi, was also banned from the sport until the end of November 2019.
During the November 2017 match-up in Poland, Karimachiani was leading 3-2 in the fourth minute of the match.
It is not the first sporting controversy involving Israel and Arab countries with which it has no diplomatic relations.
At the International Judo Federation Grand Slam in Abu Dhabi in October, the country was banned from using its own flag and symbols in the United Arab Emirates city.
Israel also withdrew from the 2015 World Youth Sailing Championships in Malaysia due to a similar row.
