Hard times coming for Iranian teams

[JudoWrestler]

Don't start. This thread has become a political debate and since i'm the only israeli in this forum i feel that i have to defend my country, but THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT FORUM to do it.

You want the argue about conspiracy in Fila? that's fine. But don't be a drama queen.

You're right this isn't the forum for it and I was a bit hesitant about writing a post that is strictly about politics, but I figured this whole issue is political by nature and so it its bound to become a political discussion. I don't think you can defend against anything I said, it is correct analysis of the situation.

[JudoWrestler]

In 2008 the reigning Iranian Judo world champ forfieted his first round match when he drew an Israeli. I would assume with a handle like Judowrestler you would follow Judo a little bit, so do you know if the International Judo Federation has taken up a similar policy.
Does anyone know if other countries that don't recognize Israel follow the same policy?
Does the Iranian policy just apply to sports where there is head to head competition?
Would an Iranian sprinter run a race with an Israeli in it?
What about weightlifting (I know the Iranian superheavy weightlifter won Olympic Gold)?
What about if the wrestler was an Israeli Arab (I know there was an Arab playing on the Israeli national soccer team a few years back)?

I don't really follow judo. I am not really a big fan of judo. I chose my name because I used to train with a very high level judo team (Olympic level). Although I do remember when the Iranian forfeited against the Israeli and there was a big furore by the anti-Iranians about how they could punish Iran and the Iranian people.

I don;t think it applies unless it is head to head competition. You're right Behdad Salimi just became the world record holder for the snatch (he is from my region of Iran) ha. We're a strong race.

[JudoWrestler]

Just thinking out loud and making sure there isn't any hypocrisy here, so to clarify....are you a supporter of Iran as a nation or just it's wrestlers (who may or may not support their government).

I support Iran as a nation and Iranian wrestlers. I do disagree with the present regime on many matters and hope for future reforms. Just to clarify I do not support the policy of Iranians not competing against Israel, but not for love of Israelis but for love of Iranians.

[JudoWrestler]

Jimbo, JudoWrestler, did you know that the soccer match Iran v Israel in 1968 was a turning point in Iranian sport history? Until then wrestling was sport #1 in Iran. The political significance that was ascribed to that match moved soccer to the top position. Soccer outranged wrestling in popularity.

I'll attach a study by Chehabi (Iranian!), prof. for international relations at Boston Univ., on Takhti as wrestler, politician and people's hero/legend. On p. 57 he writes Takhti's death and the Iran-Israel match, both in 1968, were the point at which the big change occured.

Yeh, I think football is more popular now. Although volleyball seems unusually popular as well haha.

[Hubbard]

The Iranians I know all hate the conservative Government in Iran right now and basically that's been there since the throw of the Shah. They hated the Shah as well though so you can't win.

I look forward to seeing the film The Separation.

[akzent]

Yeh, I think football is more popular now. Although volleyball seems unusually popular as well haha.

Yesss also water polo and kabaddi. ))
But I like much more the sports governed by the Rural & Tribal Sports Federation where ladies ride and shoot, whereas men compete in sports rooted in agriculture. )))










The one with the peafowls is my favorite one:

[Tony Rotundo]

nobody knows exactly, but probably that wrestler will be banned forever from wrestling. I'm sure it won't be anything good, nobody will try it trust me !

It happened once in past, almost 30 years ago in 1983 World Championship and in Greco-Roman tournament, after that they sent the whole team (and the freestyle team before the start of freestyle competition) to Tehran and the rest didn't wrestle at all !

Interesting. So, based on the new diktat if they don't wrestle they all go home, and if they do wrestle they all go home? That's a rock and hard place for sure.