Kuwaiti karate player refuses to confront Israeli opponent

Kuwaiti karate player, Muhammad Mishaal Al-Otaibi, on Saturday withdrew from the World Karate League championship, held in Azerbaijan, refusing to confront an Israeli opponent.

The International Karate Championships will be held in Azerbaijan from August 28 to September 5.

Tweeters considered that by refusing to confront an Israeli, the player “proved that he is a true hero and deserves praise”, celebrating the originality of the Kuwaiti people and their always supportive positions for the Palestinian cause.

Arab activists praised the withdrawal of Kuwaiti player Muhammad Al-Otaibi from the World Karate League, in refusal to confront an Israeli player.

Kuwaiti athletes have repeatedly refused – in various competitions – to confront Israeli players, in line with the Kuwaiti official position on normalization with the Israeli occupation.

In May 2022, the Kuwaiti Paralympic Committee announced the withdrawal of Kuwaiti player Kholoud Al-Mutairi from an international wheelchair fencing championship held in Thailand, refusing to confront an Israeli player.

Kuwaiti chess player Bader Al-Hajri refused to face an Israeli player in the Sunway International Chess Championship in Spain.

According to Kuwaiti law, Israel is considered a hostile state, and natural and legal persons are prohibited from entering into agreements or deals with bodies or persons residing in Israel or belonging to it by their nationality or working for it or for its benefit.