Israel is unsure if its table tennis team will be given Malaysian visas to compete in the World Table Tennis Championships in Kuala Lumpur in February, The Jerusalem Post has reported.
It said the team was still waiting to receive visas for the international sporting event.
Israel's table tennis association has been working with its Malaysian counterpart, the Post reported, but the matter has not been resolved.
This comes after the Israel Sailing Association withdrew its athletes Yoav Omer and Noy Drihan from the Youth Sailing World Championships in Langkawi last month, after they and their coach Meir Yaniv, failed to obtain visas 24 hours before the event.
Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin was then reported saying that the decision not to grant them visas was made in accordance with Malaysia's diplomatic stand on Israel.
Malaysia, which does not have any diplomatic ties with Israel, would have forbade the Israeli windsurfers from carrying their country's flag or wearing any symbol of their country on their clothing, as part of the conditions of their participation.
Israel's national anthem would not be played in the event their windsurfers won the gold medal.
Israel considered these conditions unacceptable and withdrew from the windsurfing competition.
SurferToday.com meanwhile reported the unhappiness of heads of the Danish and US sailing associations.
It quoted Bruce J. Burton, president of US Sailing, as saying that "sports and politics should not mix, and that athletes should not be used for political gain".
Hans Natrop, president of the Danish Sailing Association, meanwhile, said they would recommend to the global sailing body, World Sailing, that the championship held in Langkawi be considered as "non-representative" and that its status as an "official world championship" be revoked.– January 3, 2016.
https://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/israeli-table-tennis-team-yet-055437315.html?linkId=20050234
It said the team was still waiting to receive visas for the international sporting event.
Israel's table tennis association has been working with its Malaysian counterpart, the Post reported, but the matter has not been resolved.
This comes after the Israel Sailing Association withdrew its athletes Yoav Omer and Noy Drihan from the Youth Sailing World Championships in Langkawi last month, after they and their coach Meir Yaniv, failed to obtain visas 24 hours before the event.
Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin was then reported saying that the decision not to grant them visas was made in accordance with Malaysia's diplomatic stand on Israel.
Malaysia, which does not have any diplomatic ties with Israel, would have forbade the Israeli windsurfers from carrying their country's flag or wearing any symbol of their country on their clothing, as part of the conditions of their participation.
Israel's national anthem would not be played in the event their windsurfers won the gold medal.
Israel considered these conditions unacceptable and withdrew from the windsurfing competition.
SurferToday.com meanwhile reported the unhappiness of heads of the Danish and US sailing associations.
It quoted Bruce J. Burton, president of US Sailing, as saying that "sports and politics should not mix, and that athletes should not be used for political gain".
Hans Natrop, president of the Danish Sailing Association, meanwhile, said they would recommend to the global sailing body, World Sailing, that the championship held in Langkawi be considered as "non-representative" and that its status as an "official world championship" be revoked.– January 3, 2016.
https://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/israeli-table-tennis-team-yet-055437315.html?linkId=20050234
